Ace
by NothingWrongWithImperfection
Summary: My father brought my husband today at the Ace, He has been brought up to fight and win. He has one mission and that is to protect me but he is no longer a man, he is a savage.. And now it is my job to show him just what it means to be a man.E/B EM/R A/J.
1. Prologue

_**Hello there. **_

**_Warning: this story is about control and power but it is mostly about giving someone their life back. _**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, if I did I would have found a way to marry Robert Pattinson by now. Stephenie Meyer owns them and I will not take credit for her work. The plot is mine but that is it. _**

**_Please leave a review, I will only listen to flames if they are constructive... just you hating is not going to go down well with me. _**

**_Do not like this type of story, then please do not read... It is simple. _**

**_Anyway on with Ace. _**

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><p><em>Ace<em>

What is_ Ace_?

Is it a picture on a card, or a word that describes something good?

How many different types of _Ace'_s are there? If you think about a deck of cards, there are four and I'm sure you can describe anything as being _Ace._

But where I come from, it's cruel.

_Ace_ in my world is seen as entertainment for the poor and a way of protecting ones daughter to the rich.

My father Charlie is one of the richest men in my village and just to prove my father's wealth he buys everything he can, Houses, coaches, pretty dresses that hang in my wardrobe and are never worn. He parades me around in heavy jewels and makes sure that everyone he knows sees him as the dotting father.

His next step is to buy the best man at the _Ace_.

I was awoken this morning by one of the seventy five servants that work for my father. I was taken into my bathroom to wash and then sat for an hour while she readied me for my big day.

You see, I turned eighteen today.

It is an important day for any woman but for me it has been the most anticipated day of my entire life.

My father will buy my husband today.

I will be a married woman tomorrow along with a third of the women from my village.

_Ace_ in my world is a cruel and evil way for men to die.

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><p><strong><em>Please leave a review and let me know what you think. The first chapter will be posted soon :) <em>**


	2. The Arena

**_Hello there again. _**

**_This is the first official chapter of Ace. Surely some of you got the drift from the prologue but if not this will explain it for you :)_**

**_Disclaimer is and always will be the same :) _**

**_Lets visit Ace! _**

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><p><strong>Bpov <strong>

The bell rings above my head and I know I should be scared of the scene in front of me but I'm too engrossed, too anxious.

The hand on my father's arm tightens when I first hear it, it is loud and frightening and now my brain is in shambles as I watch these men growl at each other.

In cages like wild animals, they know no different.

They have been brought up this way and I know they are trying to impress us, _Women_. They are trying to impress our fathers to get too us; they are trying to prove they can protect us.

They are trying to kill each other to get one of us.

Because they have been brought up this way with nothing to make them softer towards anyone – they live with this need to win, impress and protect.

This is an event we call _Ace_.

The ones who stay standing get the_ Ace_. They become the highest ranking ones in the game. Think a deck of cards then you will understand. My father explained the _Ace _to me while we were in the coach, he explained that the highest ranking men come first on the bidding list, so far there are fourteen men still standing compared to the twenty five that started. This game is cruel but our fathers say no to any of us when we tell them we want to find love and marry a man who we care about. `A man has to protect his wife and cannot do that if they are soft' they would all say.

The men who are showing the most potential seem to know each other very well; they almost seem friends or could even be brothers. That would not be unheard of here; the one with bronze hair seems to be protecting his blonde haired friend while the big burly brown haired guy protects him. These seem to be close and due to this they have a very good chance of being a portion of the ones left standing. There are eight now, the others are being dragged out the exit.

There is blood on the floor and moans and grunts from the men involved. This is horrible, I want to scream stop and tell these men to desist but I know my voice would fall on deaf ears.

These men are not men, they are seen as animals.

The bell rings above my head signalling that these eight men are the only ones left standing; these are the first ones to be bid off. My father seems to approve as he nods to my best friend's fathers.

"Bella, ask your father to bid on number 20061901, trust me Bella" Alice is always telling me to do this, to do that. I have to trust her because she has never been wrong before.

"Gentlemen, The following men have been rated the top ranking today, we ask you bid on the one you want to protect your daughter and do not bid on any other, once a deal is made your daughter must meet the man you have chosen in private, so without further ado Gentlemen, let the bidding start" the man standing in the middle of the room looks sheepish with his black hair slicked back and his clothes hanging from his frame.

I hate him instantly.

"Number 4536870" he comes and goes. "Number 6372475639" again he is bid on and then leaves. The number I am waiting for is third in the line; up first is the burly man from before. "Number 19151935" Rose's father stood tall and gave a bid on him; I looked to Alice and saw her smirk toward Rose. Rose was whispering next to her father begging to have him. "19151935 sold to Mr Hale" That was Rose sorted.

Rose left with her father, she was biting her nails and preparing to meet her soon to be husband.

Alice's eyes lit up as the blonde stepped into the middle of the room "number 14121843" Alice whispered in her father's ear and he stood and bid "Number 14121843 sold to Mr Brandon" Alice's whole face lit up when she heard that the man she wanted to protect her was now hers, she stood and walked down the steps to meet him.

"Number 20061901" I took in his bronze hair, his hardened chest and his strong jaw. "Daddy please bid on this man" I told my father, he nodded and stood along with three other men in the crowd.

"I shall pay £100,000 for this man" my father said smoothly. Everyone else sat down, no one could compete with my father. "Agreed, Number 20061901 sold to Mr Swan" I smiled and literally skipped my way down the stairs to meet him. The hall was lit with candles and the stone walls were very cold when you put your hand on them. The room I was led to was small and cramped but very clean. I smelt sweat and blood along with cleaning products and men's aftershave which could only mean that this was defiantly the men's sleeping and cleaning area. I passed all the men who were injured and then came to a very big red door.

"You must go in alone, when you come out you shall be wed to this man" my father smiled and then was guided down to the waiting area where I suppose his friends would be waiting for him. I knocked on the door and waited.

"He shall not answer, they have no privacy here, you are to just walk in" a guard said sternly and opened the door for me. There on a small bed lay my future husband.

I just hoped I could get along with him.

"Edward this is Isabella, welcome her" the guard said urgently and then shut the door as Edward stood.

"Hello" I said quietly and then he was coming towards me at a fast pace. At first I thought he was going to hug me but I was wrong. He grabbed the tops of my arms and lifted placing himself between me and the door.

Protect.

"Can you speak?" I asked noting the muscles running along his back.

"I speak, I however do not wish to talk" he muttered. He ran his hand over his neck and then down his back as if to soothe an ache. He turned around and narrowed his eyes.

"What are you?" he whispered as his eyes came to rest on my chest.

"A woman" I said as if he was dumb.

"I have never seen a woman before in person, I would like to touch you" I nodded my head thinking about the soft innocent touches I had dreamed about. Boy was I wrong. He lunged at me and started to grope my breasts and stomach. "You are very soft, these are unusual. I want to mount you" he suddenly snarled and I whimpered, he tried to turn me around and bend at the waist but the door burst open to reveal a strong looking guard who had a whip in his hand.

"Not until you are married Edward, Get into your corner" he whipped Edward across the back; Edward snarled and then sat in a crouch in the corner. He was snarling at the guard and licking his lips at me.

_He is an animal; he has been brought up to fight for what he has to win_ I told myself.

_He has no control. Bella this is going to be harder than you thought. _

"You must remain here for the night Miss Swan, the rules state that the soon to be bride has to stay in the room with her soon to be husband for tests. These are merely tests for Edward. Protection tests if you will. He may try to mount you if this does happen simply say CORNER and he should retreat." He nodded once, shot a stern "stay" at Edward and left.

"I want to mount you" Edward roared when the guard was gone. He began to move slowly over to me.

"Stay!" I shot at him and he retreated.

I lay on the bed – his bed and just watched his movements throughout the tests, there was no doubt about it, he was brainwashed into thinking he was an animal.

The tests were barbaric, to put it nicely.

First a man came in and tried to take me from my bed. That went down well until he was thrown out the door by Edward who was snarling. The next one came in and tried to make me go with him; this again was merely a test. Edward did not like that one bit and the guy knew about it. The third came into the room without a glance at Edward and whispered in my ear "I am very sorry Miss Swan because this part of the test is the hardest however I will not get far. I have to try and mount you." He used the air quotations for the mount part and then proceeded. He was on the floor within seconds with Edward on top growling and trying to kill him.

"Mine!" he growled. Much later a guard came in and sat next to me on the bed. Edward snarled but said nothing.

"Miss Swan Edward passed all the tests and is suitable to protect you, your father has obviously given consent so tomorrow morning you shall be wed to Edward and shall return home to the house your father has brought for you. I am going to give you everything you need to know about his training and his commands. These will come in handy because you will need to use them to settle him if he gets out of hand." I wanted to be sick. He was trained like a dog and now I would have to train him too and keep him in line.

Bullshit.

I was going to show this man what he really is.

"How are Alice and Rose?" I asked the guard trying to dig for any information.

"They are fine; Jasper has taken with Miss Brandon and is awaiting his tests. The same goes for Emmett and Miss Hale, Emmett has attempted to mount Miss Hale several times." He laughed to himself.

The humour was however lost on me.

"Do they have any knowledge of morals and what is acceptable in society?" I asked while looking down at the huge folder he had placed into my lap. Edward was now wavering on sleep but would not sleep. "He is waiting for your command" he nodded towards Edward like he was some sort of chore.

"Edward come" I pointed to the side of me and then shifted so the guard had to move along. I looked down at the sheet of commands again when Edward was sitting with his head on my knee.

"Sleep on my lap" he stood and climbed onto the bed and put his head onto my lap, letting sleep take him.

"It will not be like this long" I whispered into his ear and then stroked his hair.

"Miss Swan I would advise you not to treat him as a man, he shall turn on you and no longer protect you" I nodded through the lie and just let him walk out the door. I heard a lock and then knew I was in here alone with him until tomorrow morning. Then I was on my own to care for him and to change his outlook on life.

I was going to make him see that he was a man and not a dog you can train. I was going to give him everything he needed.

While he was sleeping I read the manual, the things were barbaric. He did not know about sex in human terms, he only knew about mounting and taking.

Proof that he had urges was written in his file. Times tried to touch himself - 6. punishments – 94 , success rate – 100%.

I wanted to be sick.

When I woke I felt something thrusting onto me, I heard a moan and a snarl and then it disappeared. Edward was lying on the floor with a guard holding him down while he bared his teeth and snapped at me.

"Mine, I want to mount" he yelled at me.

"Let him go" sternly does it, they let him go and he charged at me.

"Stop, you shall have a chance later tonight. Do you understand" I looked right into his green pools, he licked his lips and replied with a growl in his chest.

"Yes" I nodded and pointed to the floor, he sat and I stroked his hair for him. I hated the fact that I would have to command him until we got out of this place but it had to be done.

He would not be mounting tonight; He would be consummating a marriage.

Later in the day I was collected and put into a wedding dress along with Alice and Rose, they looked beautiful but Rose had worry written across her face.

"What is it?" I asked both of them.

"They treat them like animals, what shall we do?" Alice whimpered.

"I have a plan, you are to come and live in my house with Edward and I. I shall explain more later for now let's just get them out of here" I picked up the bouquet of flowers and placed my hand on my father's arm.

I got married in the arena with all the other women.

The women were led out of the arena and into a separate coach that was to take them to their new home, they would then be given up to three hours in which to prepare for their husbands arrival. Rose, Alice and I kicked up a fuss with our fathers and were finally able to live in the same house. My plan would not work without that detail.

After an hour of waiting we heard a coach pull up outside and there strapped to the back of the coach were three metal cages. We all gasped in turn when a man got out of the coach and began to unload them.

Surely they were not serious.

The dark haired man unloaded all the cages onto the sidewalk and then got back into the coach. It was only then that another coach pulled up and out stepped our husbands. They each looked around before being directed to the cages, by this point we were all holding our breath wondering what the hell was going on.

Rose was the first to comment on the cages when she saw Emmett go to lift one.

"What is the meaning of this" she asked harshly to the man holding onto three chains.

"It is standard procedure ma'am, All men brought have a cage in case anything happens" We of course could not do anything about it because if the officials knew we were breaking the cycle we would be killed.

"Oh, well be quick then" she spat harshly before grabbing both mine and Alice's arm and dragging us back into the house.

"Those cages are the first things that go" she looked livid. We all nodded and waited with baited breath until our husbands came through the doors, each carrying their own cage.

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><p><strong>Please review and let me know what you think :) This is very different from what I have written before so please be gentle. Lol. :) <strong>

**xxx **


	3. The first steps

**Hello there. **

**I first want to thank each and every person who reviewed. I have taken your comments into account and I hope to improve on them. **

**I have a beta for this fic and she has agreed to look through the chapters already up but cannot do it until next week... but I can't leave you guys without something for that long. **

**So here it is. **

**WARNING: THERE IS A LEMONISH SECTION BUT I FEEL MANY OF YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH IT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE STORY. **

**Thank you to the ladies that pimped this story, you know who you are :) If I could you would all get Rpattz's peen.. Ha what am I saying... you would have to fight me for it. **

**Important :**** Many have asked about a update schedule and for an estimate of how many chapters there will be. To answer the first question I do not have one right now because I am a university student so I have no idea when I am available due to my course. The second is that I hope to have this story reach at least the 25 to 30 chapter mark complete with Epilogue. So stick around folks. **

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><p><strong><span>Bpov<span>**

I will always remember this day as being the hardest, even if I live another seventy years. This day will be forever etched into my mind as the day I lost all hope in humanity.

Our husbands sat on the floor next to their cages each with only a scrap of material to cover their dignity. Their necks are hidden by hideous leather collars that have a large silver hoop attached to the front, I look down the chain that is connected and think of all the ways I could kill the one in charge. I could wrap it around their neck and pull; I could hang them out of a window and let the whole world see what a monster they are.

But there is a problem; no one knows who is in charge of it.

So of course the history of the _Ace_ is not talked about.

The chain is dropped and instantly they pull it from the loop around their necks. The official then takes these chains and winds them tightly before putting one on each cage.

If I could just reach, he would be no more.

I scare myself for a moment because I have never had this urge to kill someone before, I have never thought about the way someone would die at my hand but right now that's what I'm doing. I'm plotting his death in my head and it scares me because I know I would never do that.

I would never take a life no matter who it is.

Alice is currently looking to the floor which usually happens when Alice is upset over something. First she retreats into her own head then she stomps around letting everyone know it will not hold her back and then within a few hours she is right as rain again.

Even if I live till a hundred and one I still will never understand her ways.

"Is there anything else" Rose said sweetly. Rose had always had been able to trick even the smartest of people. Right now she looked unaffected by the incidents in front of her but Alice and I knew she was itching to strangle the man in front of her. She was very subtle with the hints she gave us, first her head would move to the side and then her hands would slowly clench together and unfold quicker than anyone would realise.

Alice and I gave each other the look that basically said "She goes for him, your cleaning the mess up".

"I'm afraid I still need to talk to you three alone" I shuddered but composed myself quickly trying to pass it off as a chill.

_You can take them off later _I told myself.

"Cage" The dark haired man commanded and just like that, my husband opened the door of his cage and crawled inside with Emmett and Jasper following his lead.

I could see Rose's hands balling into fists and I noticed Alice was on the verge of crying. I coughed lightly and shook my head to tell her that would not help. She took a deep breath and composed herself.

"Shall we go into the dining room" I said as nicely as I could, it would not do my plan any good to have the arena officials investigating us.

We left the men where they were and entered the dining room. I instantly felt myself tense when I could not see my husband anymore.

We all took a seat at the oak table that lay in the centre of the, Rose sat on my right and Alice took my left. I took the lead and motioned for him to continue. He reached into the bag I had not noticed before and pulled out the guidebooks we had tried to leave behind. He gently placed them down in front of us and began to read from a section of his own book.

"Now I have been given strict orders to tell you to keep to your guide books, it is essential for their wellbeing and for you to keep them under control." We nodded along but I could tell I was the only one paying attention.

He put his book flat on my dining room table and smirked before diving into a topic we knew was unavoidable.

"I must also advise you to consummate this marriage in the only way they have been trained. It is not wise to try and fill their heads with pleasure. Trust me" He said sternly.

"Is there anything else?" I asked softly.

"Do not feed them rich foods, a simple tin of food will do and they eat in their cages for they have not been trained to use cutlery" That is it; I wanted him out of my house.

"Thank you for your advice" I stood at the same time Rose and Alice did. We walked the vile man to the door and practically threw him out.

Rose and Alice stood next to their husband's cages while I peered out of the window, I waited for two whole minutes after his coach had pulled away before I was running towards Edward's cage. Rose caught on and all but ripped Emmett's cage door of the hinges.

Alice was gentle about hers; she tiptoed up to it and slowly unlatched the door before letting it swing open.

Edward was looking at me curiously when I too ripped the cage door open, I offered him my hand but he again furrowed his brow and pursed his lips. I knew he understood what I meant so why was he not taking it.

"Emmett, come out" Rose said softly, it took a few minutes before Emmett got on his knees and crawled out of his cage.

As soon as he was out she attacked the collar on his neck. He tensed when it was removed but other than that he stayed still. I don't think I have ever seen Rose so angry; she threw the collar to the other side of the room with a huff and then immediately began to stroke her husband's neck.

_This may be too much for them _I shook the thought from my head and looked to see about Alice's progress.

Jasper had come out of his cage and was sitting at Alice's feet with his head down, Alice was trying to talk to him in a calming voice but he would not look up to her.

I refocused all my attention on Edward and offered my hand again.

"Come out" I said softly, he narrowed his eyes and proceeded to shift out of the cage. His hands were balled into fists and his eyebrows were clenched together.

I began to reach for the collar on his neck when he pulled away from me slightly.

"Edward" I warned, he seemed to take the hint because I managed to get my fingers around the buckle at the back of his neck and undo it. The collar came off and my breath caught in my throat when I saw red marks from where collar had been too tight. My fist clenched around the leather and I was starting to feel hot headed again.

"Bella, what do we do now?" I saw Rose with tears in her eyes stroking her husband's neck and whispering soothing things down to him. Alice was still trying to get Jasper to look up at her but to no avail.

_Do not take away what is familiar to them _a tiny voice in my head said.

"We have to keep the cages" Both of them began to disagree but I put hand up to explain.

"This is familiar to them. We cannot throw them in the deep end and expect them to swim, we have to teach them a metre at a time" I threw them a small smile to which they nodded.

They knew I had a plan.

"Edward, where is your cage meant to go?" I asked sternly and stood tall. He automatically responded by squaring his shoulders.

"Where it is put" He said as if it was something I should have already known.

"Put them in the bedrooms" I said quietly. Rose nodded and tried to lift the cage but Emmett growled and gave me an evil look.

"Edward, Bring your cage" I tested to see if I was on the right track. He stood and picked up his cage, his head then dropped and he waited.

"You have order them for now Rose" I said quietly.

"But it's wrong" she whimpered.

I nodded and walked the short distance towards her, I wrapped my arms around her and stroked her blonde hair a few times.

"It's the only way to help him" she nodded and squared his shoulders before ordering Emmett to do the same thing.

I knew it took a great deal of strength for her to order him around. Rose had always been a strong believer of free will which is why at first she hated the idea of being married to a man that came from the arena.

If I ever found out who created the _Ace _I would murder them, I would then of course be killed but at least I would die with a smile on my face.

_No you can't leave Edward. _ I had known the man less than a full day and already my whole world revolved around him.

It revolved around his past, present and future and there was no way in this world I would ever turn him away. I looked down at the ring on his finger and then at the absent one on mine.

As the officials would say this was just another way to control them, another way for us to own them.

…..

We walked up the stairs with our husbands in tow and each opened the door to our suites, I had asked my father to make sure the decorators painted my room white and blue because I had always loved the natural calm it brought me when I was relaxing. The walls had been a soft aqua blue which made the room feel cold but relaxing at the same time. The white bed was piled high with blue pillows. The chair in that sat next to the window had a large blue and white blanket draped over the back. There was a small vanity and a large white wardrobe which would hold all the dresses and clothes my father would continue to buy for me.

I pointed to the empty corner of the room and motioned for my husband to place his cage down there.

Not that he would be using it.

He turned to place it down and I finally saw the angry mark that had been left by that whip.

Automatically my anger was back and it was increasing with every new thing I found out. While Edward was putting his cage down, I went to grab a cloth from the bathroom.

There was a cry from downstairs before I could even get there, I took off running and met Rose on the landing. Our faces had the same scared expression.

We raced down the stairs just as Jasper was bending Alice at the waist and preparing to mount her.

"Alice, shout No" I screamed, but she was too scared to move. I could tell she was rooted to the spot and would do nothing.

"Alice, you have to tell him No and he will stop" I begged, by this point he was already working on lifting her dress.

"NO" She screamed, Jasper instantly stopped his efforts and crawled back into his cage. Alice sank to the floor in a heap of tears and curled into herself.

Jasper was looking at her with his head bent to the side and a look of hatred in his eyes.

I know he didn't understand what he almost did.

Rose and I immediately lifted her shaking form into the living room.

When she was all cried out; she fell asleep. I placed the blanket over her form and kissed her sweetly on the forehead.

She was my sister no matter the parentage.

Looking down at her I couldn't help but think about our pasts. Alice had always been so much smaller than everyone else, she had always been the one people targeted because they over powered her. I prayed she would find the courage to rise above Jaspers physique and help him. We walked back into the foyer to find Jasper leaning against the door of his cage with his arm outstretched towards the living room.

Maybe they do understand.

Rose and I shared the same heartbroken look when we realised that we couldn't do anything about it, in the files it clearly stated that only the woman who the man would protect would be able to control him.

…..

Edward was exactly where I left him but he was moving from side to side. I furrowed my brow for a second before I realised he needed the toilet.

"Do you need to use the bathroom?" I asked carefully.

"Outside" He stated quickly. _Wait what?_ I asked myself before I really caught on. _Oh no, that is not happening. _

_Be sure to look in the guidebook for that one later._

It was time for his first lesson.

"Come here" I motioned with my hand before making my way into my ensuite bathroom. I pointed to the toilet. "When you need the toilet you come here, Make sure to get it in the bowl" I pointed down at it and felt my heart clench. "Once you have finished, pull this down and wash your hands" I went through the motions of telling him about the taps and the soap. He was looking at it with wide eyes but still rocking from side to side.

"Go to the toilet" I told him with a small smile. He instantly untied the piece of cloth and sat down on it. I ran from the room, red faced and angry.

Lesson one, complete.

I smiled to myself because that small action told me that my plan just might work.

I tapped my foot for ten minutes before I heard the water from the taps run and his frustrated growl, I reopened the door to find his chest covered with water and an angry snarl on his features.

"It's just water, Here" I turned the tap down and grabbed the soap; I took his large hands in mine and began to lather them up before putting them back under the water. He took his hands back after the suds were gone but he seemed frustrated that his hands remained wet.

I took a hand towel from the bathroom rail and gently dried his hands. _You really need to read the guidebook _a voice shouted at me.

"This is called a towel, it will dry your hands when they get wet" I finished drying his hands and slowly walked from the bathroom.

He followed instantly.

"Edward, I know you can talk. Please tell me what you need now" I sat on the bed and watched as he furrowed his brow and pursed his red lips.

"Mount" He said sternly and then began to walk forward towards me.

"No, not yet" I told him and he backed off a few spaces. I sighed; this was going to be harder than I thought.

A little while later I grabbed his hand lightly and pulled him down the stairs with me. Jasper was still in exactly the same position but looked up when Edward and I walked past. Edward knocked on his cage without realising I saw and Jasper knocked back a few more times. It was like they were communicating with each other.

That was Interesting.

I walked to the door where Alice was and put my hands lightly in the air to tell Edward to stay put. Alice was sitting up when I walked in, her eyes still puffy but her posture had changed.

She looked like she was ready to tackle the world.

"Alice, are you alright" I took a step forward but she was already on her feet and marching towards the door.

She strode to Jaspers cage and threw open his door. As soon as he was out she undid the collar and put it in his hands. She then ordered him to follow her, which he did. She marched through the house with Jasper and I on her heels.

She stopped at the bin and lifted the lid.

"Throw it away" she commanded and to my astonishment he immediately dropped it into the bin. She slammed the lid hard and rounded on him.

"Now, say you are sorry for your actions" She commanded again. He got on his knee and muttered his apology. "Stand" she said lightly and did something so unexpected.

She put her arms around him and gave him the smallest of hugs.

"For everything you do right, I shall give you one of those" He nodded quickly and stood tall again obviously awaiting her next action.

"Alice, what the hell was that?" I asked her astonished.

"It is how I am going to teach him." She told me simply. That incident must have really set her off.

"Edward, did you get treats when you were well behaved" he shook his head.

"Alice, this may just work" I smiled at her and started to think of a treat I could give Edward for when he learnt something new.

I automatically shot to my tip toes and gave Edward a small peck on the cheek; he was startled for only a second.

"Your treat for learning how to use the toilet" I smiled.

After Jasper had put his cage in Alice's room we sat down stairs, the boys instantly went to sit at our feet but we stopped them and motioned towards the sofa's that were in the centre of the room. Jasper looked at Alice expectantly and smiled when she gave him his treat. Edward tensed when I kissed him lightly on the cheek but instantly relaxing.

….

Rose joined us in the living room with a freshly showered Emmett. She was carrying a bottle of soothing lotion and quickly sunk into the seats. She pointed to the floor in between her knees and in an instant Emmett was there. She squirted the lotion on her hands and then began to apply it to his neck which looked just as sore as Edward's.

"Rose, can you pass me that lotion" I whispered.

"Sure, but I would give him a shower first if I were you" She laughed lightly and I mentally smacked my forehead for not thinking that first.

"Right, shall we meet back here in half an hour and decide what to do next?" They both nodded and Alice and I stood and walked out of the room with our husbands following us.

I could tell Alice was nervous because she was wringing her hands in front of her and biting her lip.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"What if he tries it again when I put him in the shower?" Her frightened eyes met mine and I gave her a small smile.

"Then you tell him No" I responded and gave her a quick hug before opening the door to my bedroom.

Edward followed and went to open his cage door.

"No Edward, come here" I made sure my voice was calm. He walked over to me and peered around the bathroom.

I started the shower which made Edward jump and snarl. I could tell this was going to take many trips before he would be comfortable doing it on his own.

"Take off your cloth" I said gently avoiding my eyes. He instantly furrowed his brow but unlaced the ties and let it fall to the floor. I blushed when my eyes caught a glimpse of his manhood.

_Now is not the time Bella, get him showered and then sort out his neck._ I shouted at myself.

I took his hand and led him into my shower; he instantly pushed himself against the back wall and tried to shield himself from the hot spray.

"Have you had a shower before?" I asked confused, he shook his head and responded. "Pipe in groups".

"It's alright, it's just water" I said gently and put my arm under the spray, he looked at my arm for a moment before squaring his shoulders and then walking under the spray. He moaned lightly and closed his eyes. I grabbed the wash cloth while he was distracted and squirted some shower gel over it, I took a deep breath and raised it to his back. He tensed but then seemed to relax at the soothing circles. Soon all of his back and legs had been washed and it was time to clean his front.

I smiled gently at him and put the wash cloth in his hands; he looked at it for a second and then put it on his chest. I nodded, smiled and showed him how to make the little circles; he smiled when he knew how and then instantly washed his front. By the time I had reached the shampoo he was finished.

"Drop the cloth" I said while squirting some shampoo on my hands, he did and then just stood there.

"This is shampoo it is for washing your hair." I put my hands in his hair lightly and began to rub gently, his moaning increased when I began to rub his scalp. The moaning stopped when I gently told him to close his eyes and put his head under the spray.

I grabbed the conditioner and lightly squeezed some into his large hands, I motioned for him to put it in his hair and rub. So far I had tallied he would be getting three treats when he exited the shower.

After all the suds were gone I gave him a towel and mimed what he was to do with it. He wrapped it around his waist and then followed me into the bedroom. I did not want him to put his cloth back on because I knew it was dirty, but I didn't have any clothes for him yet so I grabbed a large blanket from my wardrobe and had him follow me down the stairs. I already had an extra towel which I would use to dry his damp bronze hair.

When he was washing I made a note to sort out his back and get his hair cut.

…

When we arrived at the living room it was a shock to see that Alice was already there. She was gently applying the lotion to Jaspers neck and talking quietly with Rose.

"We have to buy them some clothes" I stated when I sat down.

"Agreed, Alice and I can go before dinner" Rose smiled to Alice who had begun to run her hands through Jaspers blonde locks. I was handed the bottle of lotion and immediately started applying a generous amount onto Edward's neck.

After a while his head began to dip to the side, Alice caught my eye and mouthed to me that he was indeed falling asleep.

I stopped my actions and fetched the measuring tape. One by one we wrote down all their sizes and decided how many clothes we would need for each of them. Emmett and Jasper were told to sit on the sofa before they left.

That was half an hour ago and they are still sitting there but Jasper was moving from side to side so I knew he was uncomfortable.

"Jasper do you need the toilet?" He didn't answer me. I quickly prayed Alice would be back soon so she could teach him how to go correctly. Another twenty minutes passed before Alice and Rose burst through the doors carrying bags of men's clothing.

"Jasper has needed to go to the toilet for the last forty minutes" I told her quickly and instantly she commanded him to follow her to the nearest bathroom. Edward was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed. I thought he might have been sleeping so I gently covered him with a blanket but his eyes snapped open. He looked around the room quickly and then back to me.

I smiled gently and then proceeded to give him six treats, when I pulled back his eyes were wide but still so very tired. I kissed his forehead and told him to sleep for a while. He nodded his head and fell to sleep.

I placed the blanket over his large form and quietly left the room.

Alice and Rose were in the kitchen looking through the food that had been stocked this morning; I opened the fridge and began rooting through for something that would not be too heavy on their stomachs. There was no way they would be getting fed tinned food when I could cook.

Jasper and Emmett were now sitting on the chairs next to the table; this had apparently taken Alice and Rose a long time. I took out the ingredients for baked chicken and rice; this would be light on their stomachs and would soothe my worry of having them ill. I then took out all the ingredients for Fried chicken and rice because Rose and Alice hated baked chicken.

Rose and Alice spent the next twenty minutes sorting the clothing into three piles. I decided it was time to talk about our next step, I did not want to have this conversation with them in the room but I knew it was the only option.

"What should we do about tonight?" I whispered to Rose and Alice, Alice looked frightened and Rose just lifted her head and thought for a moment.

"We have to do it; I mean they are expecting it." She said quietly. I already knew this and had told Edward that he would get his chance to mount later but I was scared. We were all virgins because of our strict fathers and beliefs of our village. It was declared many years ago that if a girl was to get pregnant before marriage and under the age of eighteen she would be cast out of the village. It still happened from time to time but then our village Doctor brought these rods from the main city and placed one in every sixteen year old girls arm. They were said to be contraceptive rods that would stop a girl from getting pregnant until the age of twenty one. This meant that even though the girls were married at eighteen they could still have three more years before a child might be conceived. This would enable the woman to get used to their husband and prepare them for the added addition.

I stroked the inside of my arm and found the little rod lying there. I was glad it was there because I knew Edward would not know about contraception. After many blushing moments and talk of positions we decided that it was best if we had some form of control.

This meant that we would have to order our husbands around yet again and go against what we really wanted to do. The official had warned us not to go against their nature because it would cause all sorts of issues later down the line but I did not give a hoot. I wanted to have a wedding night where I could actually see my husband's face.

After the boys were dressed- this in itself was a task and a half we began to explain about the dinner table and what it is used for.

Dinner of course was a disaster because our husbands had never seen the food before and would not touch it. When we tried to teach them how to use a knife and fork they ended up with the food all over them. It took an hour and a half for them to eat half of what I had prepared them. We had told them that once they were full and could not eat anymore they were to push their plates away and stand.

Jasper stood first then Edward and Emmett stood last.

We sighed in relief, washed the plates before eating our dinner. It was quiet until the clock struck nine and I realised that Edward must still be tired even after taking his nap.

The clothes we had managed to get them into were light and unrestricting. They each wore a pair of boxers, a light loose fitting t-shirt and a pair of light lounge trousers. We would work up to jeans and shirts another day.

I over exaggerated a yawn to let Rose and Alice know it was time to tackle the night tasks. Rose bit her lip and Alice hung her head.

"You choose tonight if you go through with it or not. Do not force yourself" I knew I was speaking about myself in general but they didn't have to know that.

….

I was nervous and sweating. I was about to give my virginity to a man who sees himself as my protector.

One question kept going around my mind, why if they were seen as so dangerous why would fathers trust them with their daughters?

It made no sense.

I knew that I needed to have a conversation with my father before the week was out. Wait, today was Friday which meant he would be available this weekend.

You see, I don't know what my father does for a living. The only thing I know is that it is very secret and that the money just appears.

I looked at myself in the mirror and tried to recognise the girl I was yesterday morning but she isn't anywhere in sight. I am now a married woman trying to teach my husband how to live.

It hasn't aged my face or made my hair change colour but it has changed my eyes. I notice passion that I didn't have before. I see flecks of pity and of strength because I know I will need it for as long as it takes to help him.

I then realise that this shouldn't be a challenge, I'm not about to run a marathon or become a doctor. I'm about to show a man how to show affection without mounting.

I open the door to see Edward by his cage and his eyes darting around the room.

"I need you to answer a question" He nodded.

"Have you ever been told anything other than mounting?" I knew the answer would be no but it would help to have it confirmed.

"I was told… No" He finished. I wanted him to rewind and tell me what he was going to say but I didn't want to command him right now.

"Do you want to mount?" I asked carefully, his head snapped up and his enthusiastic nodding took my breath away.

_Here we go Bella. Remember to Breathe. _

I turned down the bed and climbed in waiting to see what he would do.

He just stood there.

"Edward, come here" I whispered lightly to the frozen statue in the room. He walked slowly to my side of the bed and waited.

"Will you do everything I say?" I asked letting the covers fall down slightly. His eyes roamed my chest for a second before realising that he could not see what he wanted. He huffed and then looked back up at me.

"I will" He responded after a long time. I sighed in relief and looked down to the side without realising his groin was in my eye line.

I wondered if he knew what his appendage was called, I wondered if he even knew that he was aroused.

I took a deep breath and lay back down; I had forgone any panties because I knew this was going to happen.

I was scared yes, but I had to know if this would set me on the right path. I needed to know if this could help him. I also had the beliefs and laws of our village to live by because I could not be thrown out now, not when I had Edward to look after.

If this didn't help then at least I knew to keep it platonic and not involve anything remotely sexual. I would be able to give my reasons if someone from the arena or government came snooping.

This needed to happen.

"Take off your clothes" I whispered lightly while once again trying to look anywhere but his groin. I didn't do very well because I saw everything.

He was above average but only by an inch or two but what made me shudder with fright was his actual width.

Rose, Alice and I had researched so we could know exactly what to do so that when the time came we wouldn't make any mistakes which might cause problems. We quickly became embarrassed and never looked at the anatomy book again.

Now I wish I had.

"Lie on top of me" He climbed on the bed with a confused look on his face before getting into position.

_This is too easy _a small voice inside my head warned. But I had already braced myself and knew that if anything happened it could always be explained.

I briefly wondered if Rose and Alice were having the same thoughts as I was, if they were actually going through with it. I could see Rose being the type of person to go through with it because she knew she might be able to progress from it.

Alice was the one I was worried about. She was the one I would see first thing in the morning.

His skin felt hot on mine and for reason it set my skin alight, I felt his smooth skin and wondered if all those years in the arena had only affected him mentally. I knew he had scars but right now I couldn't see nor feel them.

It was like his skin was clean right now and didn't have a single mark on it.

Edward was breathing heavily and still looked so confused.

"Just say no and it will happen how you have been taught" his eyes snapped up to mine and his brow furrowed before he spoke gently.

"I know no other way" The look in his eyes told me he didn't like that way. That he wanted to know something different but was scared.

I exhaled the breath I was holding and just went for it.

My hand found his shaft and pulled him towards me without any resistance.

He was not fighting this; _does that mean he is curious to see what happens?_

It seemed to take an eternity until he was finally there, I blushed when I realised that the feel of his skin had made me produce a small amount of lubrication.

I was aroused and it scared me.

I didn't have any time to dwell on it because suddenly he was there. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open in an unreadable expression.

_Something's wrong. Back out Bella _

I moved a fraction of an inch to pull away when I felt the sharp pitch and sting that told me my virginity was no more. My insides burned as it adjusted to his size.

I should have waited.

I should have researched more so I knew how to handle this.

I heard Edward growl above me, this was a bad sign.

When I looked up at Edward's face I saw the same man from the arena. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were wide.

Edward growled again letting me know that his instincts had taken over.

It was like a band snapped, one minute I was in control and the next I found myself on my knees with Edward doing the one thing I hoped wouldn't happen.

Why did I ever think this would work out?

But at least I got my answer; Edward has a long way to go.

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><p><strong>The last bit may not be agreeable with some of you but trust me it was needed for the storyline. <strong>

**Anyway Review and let me know your thoughts. **

**Take care **

**xxx **


	4. Doctor?

******Hey there. **

**I understand this is shorter than the last chapter but I needed to get something out. Updates may be random now due to me approaching the end of my first year at uni. Since the last update I have spent days in a television studio being a producer, I have gotten over a tummy bug and have worked my butt off because the place I work at got a little busy because of the sun. I have also cleaned my room and done a small bit of DIY in my room... Why am I telling you all this? **

**Anyway! **

**So since the last update I have had the most reviews ever! I would like to thank everyone on the facebook groups who have liked this story and pimped it out. I would like to thank Smmiskimen for sending her lovely readers to my fic. If you haven't read her fics... Go now! Please :) **

**I want to thank LoopyLou992 for being my crazy go to girl when I'm frustrated with the storyline. YES YOU MOTIVATE ME! Oh and it also helps that we talk about Rob and writing on a daily basis! :) So thanks Love :) **

**LASTLY, ALL OF YOU! I feel like I am writing the end of the story with this A.N what with all the thank you's and whatever...**

**Disclaimer : Nope, Not mine... No matter how much I want it. Oh, the plot is mine but that's it. :) **

**On with ACE! **

**OH AND ONE MORE THING - THE SONG FOR THIS WHOLE FIC IS ... HURRICANE BY THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS. **

* * *

><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

_Do not cry Bella, you are stronger than that. You knew this might happen. _

I did know it might happen but I hoped it wouldn't. I thought that if I could just control the situation that maybe it wouldn't happen.

But it did happen.

He kept thrusting for what felt like a long time before he finally roared with his release. Edward stilled and then withdrew before climbing off the bed. I let myself fall onto the sheets and just stayed there for a while because I didn't want him to see that I actually wasn't as strong as I made out.

My thighs and lower back ached and my eyes were stinging with tears of frustration. Why did I ever think that I could change his way of life within one day? I felt ashamed of myself for being that naïve.

I needed a hot bath and heaven forbid that bloody guidebook. I needed to sit in a room alone and plan out every plausible solution, lesson and angle before jumping into anything like this again. I carefully sat up and winced as my sensitive skin slid along the rough material of the cover. It was very rich soft cotton but right now it felt like sand paper. I pushed my nightgown back into place and tried to stand but I was too sore because of how hard he had thrust.

I don't think he understood the concept of virginity.

I finally lifted my head to see him looking at me with a curious expression. His eyes were soft but held an emotion I would never be able to understand unless I went back in time and lived his life. I had never seen an expression like it before and that could only mean I had never felt that emotion in my life.

I gave him a small smile and rose above the pain; I stood shakily and wrapped my robe around me. He must have understood my discomfort because gently he grasped my arm and waited. I motioned towards my bedroom door and to my utter astonishment he began to lead me to it. Surely he must be confused as to why I would want to leave the room after doing something so intimate.

I didn't say anything and let him help me to the larger bathroom that lay down the hall. He sat me on the soft seat that was against another vanity. My father obviously thought I was going to spending all of my time looking at myself in the mirror… sometimes I think he doesn't know me at all.

I knew Edward was waiting for me to command him but I didn't have it in me right now. I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts.

"Edward, go to bed" I smiled at him lightly letting him know that I was alright.

He left the room silently which thankfully left to me to think about everything that had happened over last few hours. He had already learnt more than I had hoped and seemed to understand that I was going to teach him new things.

I sank into the hot water and let it wash away the stress from today.

…..

The bath had helped soothe the ache and I now had a hold on my emotions. The bath had once again served its purpose because I could now sleep easy knowing I had a plan for tomorrow.

I was going to talk to my father.

I would have spoken to my mother if she was still around, but alas she left when I was a baby. Something about it not being right for her anymore, that's what my father says anyway.

I wanted to go and check on Alice and Rose to see if they were alright but I had Edward to think about now.

I stood outside my bedroom door listening for any signs that Edward was still awake. I heard nothing so I let myself into my room quietly.

The bed was empty.

I frantically looked around until I saw his legs peeking out of his cage door. He was curled on his side with no space for him to move.

My heart instantly clenched at the sight.

It was already late and I wanted nothing more than to strip my soiled sheets and fall onto fresh ones. So with that I silently crept to the closet and got out a large sheet, two extra pillows and another quilt cover. I had to work fast because I did not want to risk waking Edward until his side of the bed was ready and turned down.

When the new blue sheets were ready I let my steps get heavier because I was going to wake him up anyway. I reached into his cage and gently shook his shoulder; he flinched but did not wake.

I tried again.

His hand shot out and wrapped painfully around my wrist, his eyes were wide as he took in my form crouching at the bottom of his cage. Edward instantly let go of my wrist and tried to fit as much of himself in his cage as he could.

"No, ssh. You didn't hurt me. Please come out" After a few minutes of persuasion he finally uncurled himself and shifted out of the cage. I slowly took his hand and motioned towards the bed.

He was confused when I got into the right side of the bed and patted the left side for him. After an encouraging smile he finally slipped in between the sheets. His eyes were wide and his body was stiff because it was yet another new thing for him.

But I couldn't just leave him in the cage with the bars digging into his sides.

"Go to sleep" I whispered lightly after ten minutes of him staring at the ceiling. His eyes closed and his body relaxed into the soft mattress.

Not even three minutes later he was dreaming.

I must have lay there for an hour just looking at his innocent expression. How could anyone who looks so peaceful be so dangerous?

How could someone hurt another person so much?

It happens emotionally all the time; you have the name calling in schools. Then there is harassment issues when you are older.

It happens physically when someone takes it too far.

Mentally has always been the biggest one because you are mentally affected when you have been emotionally and physically hurt.

You may not categorise that way but it's true. Word's hurt just as much as someone's fist.

My eyes were drooping by the time I noticed it, it was very small and was fading slightly. I roughly opened my eyes to try and get a better view because I thought it may have been a trick of my tired eyes.

It wasn't.

Branded onto Edward's inner arm was a small Ace card. Not even an inch long but still there for everyone to know that this man was one of them.

A victim of the Ace.

…..

My eyes snapped open when the sound of the toilet filled my ear drums.

It couldn't be.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and turned to find Edward gone from the bed. I looked towards his cage quickly but was pulled from that thought when the bathroom door opened and Edward walked out.

My smile could have ripped my face in two.

Edward had used the toilet without being told to which meant that he had listened when I told him that whenever he needed the toilet he was to go there.

I was instantly so proud of the man standing before me.

"Good morning Edward" I greeted him. He replied with a small smile.

"Let's get ready for the day "I climbed out of bed and got Edward his clothes. Mine could wait until Edward was dressed and fed. The white loose fitted t-shirt looked too large on him but I did not want to aggravate the marks on his skin. He once again changed into a clean pair of boxers and loose black lounge trousers because he was not leaving the house until I returned from my father's house.

"Do you know how to brush your teeth?" I asked while holding a tooth brush still in the packet. To my surprise he nodded his head and then proceeded to clean his teeth at the same sink I had taught him how to wash his hands.

Why would they teach them how to brush their teeth but not the toilet or shower?

I was even more confused than before.

When Edward was sitting at the table eating a small bowl of light cereal, I ran to get changed. I pulled my expensive dress over my head and pulled my hair into a band. I wore nothing on my face because I was not expected anywhere.

I was only wearing the yellow, daisy covered sun dress in hopes that my father may look at me and see his little girl who he would share secrets with.

It might help to get the information I need.

_Wishful thinking Bella_

After spending half an hour explaining to Edward that I would be back soon and that he was to do everything Alice or Rose told him too I finally made it into the garage at the side of the house.

I ran my hand along the gold covered coach and waited for it to open one of the two doors. The bullet shaped contraption instantly greeted me and gently released the lock. I climbed into the back of the coach and told the computer where I wanted to go.

It bleeped a few times before smoothly turning onto the road and beginning the journey.

I hated this coach.

It was built to look like a bullet flying through the streets; it had no driver and could change to what you needed.

What happened to the good old days where you actually drove where you needed to go?

This was yet another thing my father had not told me about until he put the manual in my hand and said "A gift".

It came in handy but every time I used it I was so petrified of having an accident. I arrived at my father's house in less than three minutes and was greeted by Mrs Cope. Mrs Cope is a small woman who used to be my full time nanny and friend but as I grew older she became the head of all the servants working in the house.

She greeted me with a hug and then let me roam free.

I found my way through the dark hallways until I came to the door I wanted, it was a dark wood and had gold detail that ran from the foot of the door to the very top. It swirled and looped around the handle before joining in the middle to form the shape of a book.

I knocked lightly and waited for a few seconds before I heard my father command me to enter. He was sitting in his black high leather chair and skimming through some paper work; as soon as he saw me he put the paper work in the drawer and motioned for me to sit in the chair in front of him.

"Bella, What are you doing here sweetheart" He said in his fatherly tone. I have heard this soft tone since I was a child and would never be able to forget it.

"Daddy I wanted to know how and why the Ace started" He looked at me with a frown but then began.

"Well Bella the Ace actually started the year you were born. You see our village had been attacked by a flurry of men who decided that they wanted our women. After the village was attacked many families were frightened to even let their daughters out of their homes. This then led to the beginning of the Ace, it was merely a place where boys were sent to learn how to protect a woman. As the years went by the training became a lot more brutal but by that time the maker had already won. The ace existed and no one could do anything about it" He stopped there and went no further.

"But why didn't they pull together to over throw the one in charge?" I asked curiously.

"They did try once but it soon fizzled out when boys began to disappear in the night" He stated. Was Edward kidnapped too?

I needed to get home.

"Thanks daddy, I better get going" I hugged my father good bye and then let myself out of the house.

I always did have a strained relationship with my father; I suppose the fact that I was a girl added to it. I went through puberty with Mrs Copes help and advice, I talked about boys with Rose and Alice so there was never any need to go to my father with any of my petty hormonal nonsense.

He worked out of town sometimes and I would only hear about it the night before he left so it was not like I could say "No daddy, stay and play princesses with me". I learnt at a young age that my father was providing for me and he could not be around all the time, still there is a small part of me that wishes he was there more. Part of me that wanted him to come home from a day at work and sit me on his knee while I told him all the things I had done that day.

Before I knew it the coach had turned off and the door had been opened.

….

As soon as I walked through the front door I was instantly grabbed from the side and pushed into a hard chest. Edward let go and then began to check my body for injuries that I may have received while I was out.

"Sorry Bella, He's been on edge since you left" Alice panted as she ran round the corner.

"How did you know I was back?" I asked Edward, looking him in the eye. He threw a quick glance at the window in the kitchen and then back to me. Edward continued his search till he was satisfied that I had not been harmed while I was at my fathers.

…..

At Lunch the boys sat in their chairs without being told to. I placed a sandwich down in front of Edward; he looked confused for a moment before I picked up my own lunch with my fingers and showed him how to eat it.

It took less than two minutes for his lunch to disappear from his plate. Emmett and Jasper also finished quickly which led me to believe that the boys had got their appetites back. I fetched the juice from the fridge and poured some more into their glasses; they looked at me but then drank the liquid provided.

I could not help it, I smiled.

Edward's lip twitched slightly before returning back to its original line. I really wanted to see him smile, no strike that I really wanted to see all three of them laughing.

I wanted them to be able to laugh at something the other does; I wanted them to be human again.

While Emmett, Jasper and Edward were distracted by the television that Alice had switched on I began to come up with the best way to address what happened last night to Alice and Rose.

"How did it go last night" Just jump right in why don't you.

"Emmett wouldn't come out of his cage!" Rose whispered first, her eyes darting to Emmett to make sure he hadn't heard her.

"Jasper stayed by the bed until I fell asleep but when I woke up he was curled up in his cage" Alice sighed and plopped the fashion sketch book down.

"What happened Bella?" My face must have betrayed my emotions because they both took a seat on either side of me.

I wanted the sofa to eat me alive right now. What would they say when I told them that my plan had not worked? Would they laugh in my face and say "Told you so".

"He did the only thing he knows how" I whispered with my eyes closing slowly.

"He mounted?" Alice asked softly.

"I needed to know if he had any self-control; I needed find out whether or not to change their sexual outlook at the beginning or not" I felt small hands wrap around mine and my eyes opened to see them looking at me with a small smile on their faces.

"What did you find out?" Rose asked bluntly while looking in the direction of her husband.

"Well, he has a small amount of control; not much though but enough to have hope. If we teach them how to behave and live like the rest of society we may be able to change their outlook in no time at all. Edward went to the bathroom on his own this morning without being told too which gives me hope that we can do this." I finished without even realising I was smiling.

"Alright, we first need to make a list of all the things they need to learn" I nodded at Rose's suggestion and grabbed a writing pad and some pens. Leaving the boys in front of the television we made our selves a little work area on the coffee table that sat in between us.

Rose had decided that she wanted to test Emmett's temper because she saw he was a muscular man but knew nothing of his personality. He could hurt her or someone else if she didn't find out.

Alice wanted to test Jaspers independence as of now. He had only done the things that she commanded of him and not what she simply asked.

I wanted to work on Edward's speech because I wanted to know how much he could understand. Ever since our first meeting I have wanted to see if he could carry a full conversation about Ace.

With that in mind we all grabbed our guidebooks and began to write a list of all the different lessons the boys would need to learn. The guidebooks were exactly how I imagined them, punishment lists, meal plans, health sheets etc. This was Edward in paper form.

The list itself now contained over 20 lessons which we could teach them quickly.

I quickly ticked off the toilet, shower, Sleeping and eating with cutlery. They were just the basics from my list. I had thought of every possible thing I could teach him. I even wrote Love on the page because I wanted to have a try at showing him that.

I didn't love him now but there was something in the back of my mind telling me that this could be a possibility in the future. I needed to get his standard of living up before I moved onto emotions.

The sun's rays caught my eye and I suddenly wondered if the boys had only ever been outside when they needed the toilet. Oh that was in the book to, apparently there was an area at the back of the arena with so many holes in the ground; this was obviously where they would go to relieve themselves.

Thank heavens I showed him how to go to the toilet.

"Edward, would you like to go outside?" I asked when I closed my notebook. His head shot up to look at me and then his eyes drifted to the window. I really wanted him to answer this question himself; I wanted him to have a choice.

"Yes" He choked quietly and stood.

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and laced my fingers through his so I could gently lead him out into the back garden. He froze when I opened the back door and then seemed hesitant to take the first step. I gave him a slight tug and then he was there.

Standing by my side with his fingers laced through mine.

He took a step forward and I took one too. This was his time to grow and learn that he had freedom and choices. It was time for him to learn that there was more to life than protecting me although I still hoped he would do if the time ever came.

Somewhere between his step forward and my inner thoughts our hands had disconnected and he was now walking down the patio steps to go into the garden. He was taking in every single flower and tree that had been dotted around the place. His eyes zoned in on the fountain and then darted to the patio furniture at the bottom. I couldn't wait to spend our days out here, him reading the newspaper while I read a book about sword fighting and magic.

Grow old in a sea of flowers under a clear blue sky.

I carefully sat on the swing bench and let him take it all in.

….

A little while later Alice and Jasper joined us, Alice had a harder time getting Jasper to leave the house but once he was out I began to think we would never get him back inside. They both looked distracted by the large oak tree that lay at the very back of the garden.

They both looked up and then Jasper put his arms on the lowest branch and lifted himself up. Edward then followed; I didn't know whether to tell them to come down in case they got hurt.

On the fourth branch up they both broke out into beautiful smiles so I smiled softly and went back to swinging with Alice.

Rose joined us a few moments later but without Emmett.

"Isn't he coming out?" I asked quietly.

"I made the mistake of putting on a football game and now he won't move" She laughed lightly.

"I think you found his treat for when he learns a lesson" Alice said while sketching away again.

"Oh no, He gets a small kiss on the lips when he learns a lesson" Rose replied before blushing. I couldn't help but think of what it would be like to feel Edward's lips against my own. Would they be soft and gentle or hard and punishing? Now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind either.

The boys were currently climbing down the large tree when Edward put his hand on his stomach and then doubled over. His faced screwed up slightly before his lunch found its way to the grass. I quickly threw the blanket off my legs and ran to him, I was not sure if he had ever been sick before so I did the only thing I could think of at that moment. I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house, we went through the dining room and then into the kitchen where I grabbed a cup of water and a spare plastic bowl. He was hunched over the table when I set the water in front of him; he looked up and sighed at the bowl. I made him swill his mouth out and then drink a small amount of the water.

His face was still pale ten minutes later so I had Alice call the town doctor. I didn't know what to do with myself so I grabbed the guidebook from the living room table and shot straight to his health section.

There was nothing there.

No illnesses other than the common cold. He had been regularly checked for any illnesses that could affect his performance but other than that he was perfectly healthy. I thought it may have been the bread from the sandwich being too heavy on his stomach but the other boys were fine.

I tried not to panic but when Edward was sick for the second time I began to pace a hole into the floor. Luckily the door was opened and in came the doctor; he too owned one of the coaches which meant he could get to a patient within minutes.

The next twenty minutes were spent pacing the floor outside the living door and waiting for news. Rose had finally managed to rip Emmett away from the television and Alice had managed to get Jasper inside. I thought I would have had to stay in the room with Edward while Carlisle ran his tests but it seemed that Edward already knew Carlisle and was perfectly fine with just him in the room.

I felt quite hurt by that fact actually.

I knew it was silly of me to think that but it did hurt, I was the one trying to make his life better and he was after all my husband.

_You're being selfish and ridiculous Bella._

I recomposed my scattered thoughts and tried to wait patiently for Carlisle's verdict.

…

The door opened quietly and a smiling Carlisle appeared. He was in his usual attire of black trousers and a white coat which had his name sewn into the pocket.

"He's fine; the bread was just a little too heavy on his stomach. Don't worry the sickness has passed but he's fallen to sleep so best leave him be" He smiled lightly at me and then grabbed his bag from the table in the foyer.

"Oh and you three, Let me know if you want my help turning their outlook on life around" He smirked and gave a slight chuckle at the gob smacked look on all our faces.

"How did you know?" I stuttered.

"Bella, I've been trying to teach them all differently for years but have never had long enough with them. Also the clothes and bread are a dead giveaway" His bag was packed and now he was just smiling at us.

"You're doing the right thing, I will of course help with anything you may need" His smile grew serious for a moment before he lifted the bag and opened the front door.

"Oh and before I leave, Well done for getting them this far. Keep it up and you will have Edward back in no time" then he was gone.

What did he mean back in no time? Did he know Edward before this happened? If so, why didn't he stop it from happening? There were so many things I wanted to ask him now but I was frozen to the spot. Rose had finally moved to Emmett's side and was trying to ask him if Carlisle had spoken to him to while he was in the arena. He just gave her a slight nod and smile and then sat back in the chair. Alice was nowhere to be seen. I then heard the toilet in her room flush and instantly felt better.

What did he mean try to teach them? What could he have tried to teach them?

_I was told… _

Could it be? Could Carlisle have already tried to change Edwards's sexual approach? Could he have already told him about what was proper and how to treat a woman?

_No it couldn't be Bella._

But then why did Edward say that he wasn't taught any other way?

This was all so frustrating and confusing because a part of me wanted to go to Edward but the other part wanted to fly down to the doctor's house and have him explain what he meant. A side wanted to hug Edward and tell him everything would be alright and the other wanted to demand he tell me everything about his time in the arena.

Urgh, I was so confused and I wished I had someone to talk to about this, someone who did not know the situation or even knew me, Just another person to tell me that I wasn't crazy and that trying to change their outlook on life was not a bad a thing.

I wanted to speak to my mum.

I wanted to ask her why she left me alone in this, why she ran off and never looked back. Why she didn't stay so she could help me understand all my feelings, not just now but when I was growing up too. I wanted to scream at her for abandoning me and then hug and plead with her to stay in my life.

But my anger and frustration was not helping anyone so I quickly shook it from my head and opened the living room door.

He was peaceful when he slept, almost like something carved out of stone to look beautiful for all eternity. His cheekbones were relaxed and his lips settled into a small pout. His eyelashes lay perfectly rested on his cheekbones and his eyes moved back and forth to let me know he was dreaming of something beautiful.

I didn't know why I did it.

But I placed the softest of kisses to his lips, I felt a sudden twitch and then he was kissing me back.

Softly and barely touching, he kissed me.

I pulled back when I realised that that one move could drastically change my whole plan.

He needed to learn what the kiss meant before I gave into my emotions again.

The emotions that were telling me to kiss him again.

_This is going to be a long day._

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><p><strong>The plot thickens :) I love saying that. <strong>

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	5. Punishment

**Yes it is true.. I am updating :) **

**This chapter took an age to get right. **

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><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

Edward only managed to eat a small bowl of chicken soup at dinner but I was still proud of him because a small bowl was better than nothing at all. He smiled slightly when I gave him his reward too which made me feel a little better.

I had cooked tomato pasta for the rest of us and it seemed to go down well with Emmett and Jasper because they kept eying the bowl which could only mean they wanted more of it. After two bowls each they decided they were full.

After the dishes were cleared and put away we let the boys watch the television again while we began to clean the house. It seemed like a daunting task at first because on the ground floor there were two living rooms, a kitchen, and a dining room that was mainly for parties, a downstairs bathroom, a Jacuzzi room, a library and a games room. Upstairs there were three master suites with bathrooms, a guest bedroom, another bathroom and a large office/ sewing room that could be converted into a large walk in closet. I was now grateful that Rose and Alice were living with us too.

My father had brought this house for me and continues to pay the bills because of the contract with the Ace. Those are the agreed terms; you buy a protector for your daughter, you pay for everything. I personally think it is ridiculous, I mean what are we supposed to do all day just sit around and command our husbands to kneel at our feet.

No thank you, I want to work towards something. I want to have something that is truly mine and not something my father paid for.

"Oh Bella, while you were cooking dinner I invited Carlisle round for Lunch tomorrow" Rose informed me while dusting the large painting of a flower in the hallway. I froze for a moment wondering if I was ready for this, if I even wanted to know what sort of horrors lurked in Edward's past.

_You need to know Bella, stop being a chicken. _

While we continued to clean I began to think of all the questions I could ask Carlisle. It took a few hours and a lot of cleaning supply's before I could finally relax and feel positive about the meeting tomorrow.

…..

I haven't told Edward that Carlisle will be coming around at noon today, nor have I told him that he will be in the room with us when Carlisle reveals his past. I want to see how he handles it and then decide where to go from there.

Its ten am now and I am nervous, Edward is sitting eating a bowl of cereal and thankfully has more colour in his cheeks today. My hand is clenching around the table edge and I'm finding myself falling into different scenarios in my head. First, Edward would just sit there and not take in anything that is being said. The second one is that he will fly off the handle and try and cause harm to himself or someone else. The third one scares me the most because the third scenario my mind has conjured is Edward curled in his cage not responding to anything anymore. He's just there, breathing.

I shake my head at that image and look at his perfect face; this cheers me up slightly when I see a hint of a smile on his features. He looks down at the bowl in front of him clearly proud of himself for emptying it and smiles slightly. I give him his reward and tell him to go and join Emmett and Jasper in the living room.

Rose and Alice are meeting their fathers right now; they should be arriving any minute to prepare for the meeting that should happen at noon.

_One hour and 40 minutes left. _

I can't help it, I'm nervous.

…..

The doorbell rings after what seems like a lifetime and it makes everyone jump. I quickly rise to my feet and answer the door while Rose and Alice get the boys situated in their chosen seat. I know that when I return to the living room I will take my place on the black leather sofa next to Edward.

I pull open the door and I am surprised to see a small woman standing with her hand in Carlisle's. She has long brown hair and a heart shaped face, she is beautiful and has a motherly vibe about her.

She must be Carlisle's wife.

Everyone knows Carlisle has a wife but very few have actually seen her. Many in the town believe she is crazy, others say something happened to her that caused great sadness and now she never leaves the house.

I personally think that she is shy.

But that's not the vibe I get now that she's pulled me into her arms and muttering her thanks in my ear. I have no idea what she is thankful for but I pat her on the back softly and welcome them into our home. She pulls away and immediately goes back to Carlisle's side. He is not wearing his doctor's attire today but he still carries his medical bag with him. Maybe he can give them a quick health check too.

"Would you like a drink before we start?" I ask politely when really all I want to do is push him into the living room so my questions can be answered.

"Actually I think it's better if we get started, lord knows this will be hard enough already" My brow creases at this statement but I recover quickly and lead them through the halls hanging their designer coats on the way.

"I'll just go warn them" They nodded and then stayed in the hallway while I nodded at Rose; she got off the sofa and turned off the television before returning to her seat. We now had the boy's full attention.

I returned to the hallway and gave them a soft smile before opening the door to the living room. Edward was now sitting on the empty sofa which could only mean he was waiting for me to sit next to him. Alice and Jasper sat on the black love seat and Emmett sat in the arm chair with Rose perching on the arm of the chair. Over the last few days it seemed this was the way it would work out, one of us would choose a seat and then our husbands would follow and sit as close to us as possible.

Edward, Emmett and Jasper all tensed when Esme walked into the room after her husband but after they sat on the other love seat they seemed to relax. I took that as my cue to join Edward who was looking at Carlisle with a strange expression.

It was silent for a few minutes before Carlisle spoke.

"Do you remember me?" He asked while looking from each of the boys. They nodded their heads and then looked down into their laps.

"What do you remember about me?" He asked again softly.

"Doctor" Edward whispered first. I gave him a small peck on the cheek and wrapped my hand around his.

"That's right, I am a doctor" Carlisle said softly.

"Do you remember this woman?" He tugged on Esme's hand which encouraged her to move forward silently so that they could take in her form. The boys stared at her face for a long time before shaking their heads. I looked at Esme long enough to see her heart break.

She used to know them.

I was about to interrupt when Carlisle asked the next question.

"Do you know how old you are?" He asked Emmett, Emmett shook his head. Jasper did the same. Edward thought about it for a moment but then shook his head too. Carlisle sighed and pulled a piece of paper from the inside of his jacket.

"Edward Anthony Masen, You were born on the 20th of June 1997. You are 21 years old" Edward's mouth opened silently before closing again, I felt a shudder run through him before he relaxed again.

"Emmett McCarty, You were born on the 16th of August 1994. You are 24 years old." Emmett did not respond.

"Jasper Whitlock, You were born on the 9th of May 1996. You are 22 years old. "Jasper nodded his head but looked down again.

"How did you know that?" Rose asked surprised.

"We met these boys when Edward was three, do you boys remember anything from before the arena?" He asked quickly. I was still reeling over the information that Carlisle had just given. I tried to get my mind to focus again but it was not happening.

I finally managed just in time to see the boys all shake their heads; Esme let out a small cry and buried her face in Carlisle shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulders but continued.

"Ladies, What I am about to say may cause you to react strongly. Please remain calm for their sake and try to keep all the questions until they respond." We all nodded our heads enthusiastically and tightened our grips on their hands.

"We met you all at the orphanage in town; you were only small so you do not remember it. Esme and I cannot have children so we were looking for some children who needed a home. We found you three and instantly fell in love with you. But then the Ace started…" He looked down at his hands and then continued with the story.

"At first we didn't think it was threat because you were so small, we managed to start the paperwork, get the house decorated and everything. We came to see you every other day to spend time with you. Then the rebellion happened and just like that you all vanished. The orphanage was broken into that night and all the young boys were taken" I had tears rolling down my face by the end of Edward's story.

Esme broke down in tears and Edward tensed before looking at me.

We heard a scream and looked around quickly to find Rose on the floor with Emmett holding her throat. Her eyes were wide and tears spilled down the sides of her face.

Edward and Jasper quickly grabbed a hold of Emmett's arms but he was too strong. Rose's eyes were slowly closing and no one could break his hold on her.

Emmett's eyes were dark and dangerous, I started to scream at him but nothing happened.

He wasn't letting go.

"You can't make me fight" He yelled.

"Emmett, Release her" Carlisle bellowed throughout the room. Emmett ignored him and continued to choke Rose.

Carlisle quickly pushed his thumb into Emmett's pressure point and thankfully it knocked him out. Emmett was thrown onto the sofa quickly. Edward, Jasper and Carlisle quickly formed a barrier between Emmett and us.

Rose had given into sleep and was just lying there with red marks framing her neck. Alice, Esme and I quickly lifted her and tried to carry her out the room before he woke up but we heard his groan before we made it to the door. Our eyes flashed to each other before trying again.

We heard crashes behind us before the door fully closed.

We managed to carry Rose to a smaller living room that we did not use and not even a minute later Carlisle followed to check on Rose's neck.

"Just some bruising, it might be sore for a few days so make sure she has some painkillers" Carlisle whispered as not to wake her. Esme was looking towards the door which could only mean she wanted to go and spend some time with the boys. I wanted to go and check on Edward but I was a little scared of what would happen if I walked back into that room.

"Carlisle, do you know what happened?" Alice asked while softly stroking Rose's forehead. Her hair was matted to the sides of her face due to the tears that had leaked from her eyes. I never thought I would see Rose looking so vulnerable.

Well at least she got her answer. Emmett was as strong as he looked.

"I'm guessing that Emmett had a flashback and because Rose touched him he saw her as a threat" Carlisle explained. As soon as he was finished we heard yelling from the other living room.

"Emmett" Edward yelled.

"No" Jasper followed.

It was loud enough to wake Rose; Carlisle had already sprinted from the room when her eyes opened. She looked up towards us and then her hands flew to her neck, her eyes flooded with tears and she crumbled. Just as I expected her to because no matter how strong someone is that sort of incident will always scare them. Esme immediately went into mother mode and pulled Rose into her chest while whispering soothing words to her.

Carlisle appeared a few moments later with a look of horror on his face.

"Everything is—"He put his hands up in front of him and was instantly cut off by Rose.

"Whose blood is that?" She yelled.

"Emmett's but-"Rose was already on her feet.

And of course we all followed. My heart completed shattered when I finally took in the sight in front of me. Emmett sat huddled in the corner with his knees curled against his chest, he had blood dripping down his face and his knuckles were bleeding. Edward and Jasper had formed a small barrier around him similar to the one that formed earlier.

This one was obviously to protect Emmett.

"Em, Please tell me you're alright" Rose whimpered softly through the barrier. Emmett responded a few minutes later with one word that made me burst into tears.

"Punishment"

…..

An hour later, Emmett was still curled against the wall. Rose was pleading with him to let her near him but he was hearing none of it because he too busy whispering 'Punish me' over and over again. Esme had tried to explain that this was normal for someone who had been brought up this way but Rose wasn't listening.

We had found out about half an hour ago that Esme was a trained Psychologist and had been for many years and when I asked her why she became one she replied with ' For those three boys over there'. It made me think of my mum and what she was really like.

Amongst all the chaos, I pictured her looking exactly like me but being exactly like Esme.

Carlisle was trying to get closer to Emmett to clean the cut on his forehead but he was just moving further backwards with every step.

"Rose, you must tell him you are not going to punish him" Esme said softly while stroking Rose's hair.

"Emmett, I'm not going to punish you sweetie. I just want to hold you" Rose tagged on the end softly. He tensed for a moment before shaking his head and then going back to his muttering.

"Edward, come here" I said. Edward looked down at Emmett but gradually moved away from him towards me. I caught Alice's eye and nodded in Jaspers direction.

"Jasper, come" She said with a small smile and he did the same thing as Edward.

They were both shaking when they arrived at our sides. I could see the strength it took for them to do that and it was then that I realised they knew about Family. They had made their own little family while in the arena and it was why they all were left standing at the ace.

And now I will teach them that we are their family too.

Emmett was now on his own and truthfully looked like he was somewhere else. Rose took this opportunity to crawl to him and lightly touch his shoulder; he flinched at first but then relaxed into her soothing circles. Once she felt he was relaxed enough she pulled him into a tight embrace and burst into tears.

I felt like this was a private moment and we shouldn't be onlookers anymore so I turned away without really understanding what I was doing, I grabbed Edward's hand and walked out the room with him in tow.

I don't know if anyone followed us but I did hear Emmett whimper a few more times before silence fell over the hallway. I took a look at Edward and felt stupid for not noticing the blood on his hands and white shirt before.

_He has to be put first Bella. _My mind yelled at me.

…

Once in the safety of our own room Edward stripped out of his clothes as I turned on the shower. I washed the blood that had transferred onto my hands and finally felt less queasy. He was looking at his hands curiously when I finally returned to the bedroom to get a towel from the wardrobe.

"Blood" he whispered quietly.

"That's right, don't worry he's fine now" I said reassuringly.

"I have caused many men to bleed" That made me stop dead in my tracks and whirl around. He was talking to me.

"It wasn't your fault" I said softly. I wrapped the towel lightly round his waist and then sat on the bed. He was talking and I was not going to let the opportunity slip through my fingers.

"I knew what I was doing" Edward muttered while sitting next to me.

"Yes but you didn't have a choice" I reached up and stroked his cheek lightly.

"Will I ever have a choice?" He asked softly meeting my eyes.

"You decide what you do in this house, not me" I said while squeezing his shoulder gently.

"I am yours to command" He stated without even realising he said it.

"From now on you are mine to help, love and cherish. Not to command" I said sternly.

I don't think it sunk in though; he nodded for a moment but did nothing else. Our conversation was officially over and now it was time to carry on with my plan to help him.

He was still deep in thought while he showered and it took him a long time to wash his body. I knew that the water would run cold soon so I quickly flipped the lid on the shampoo and washed his hair for him.

I didn't miss the smile that appeared on his face.

After Edward was clean and in a fresh set of clothes I went down to see how Rose and Emmett were doing, we entered the living room quietly and found Rose sitting on the sofa with Emmett lying across her lap. He was asleep and Carlisle was carefully stitching up the cut that been made when Emmett lost control.

Alice and Jasper were missing from the room; Esme was sitting with her hands folded in her lap waiting for Carlisle to finish what he was doing.

While Carlisle cared for Emmett and Esme tended to a distraught Rose, Alice and I cleaned the room with the help of our Husbands.

…..

Emmett was still asleep on the sofa an hour later because Carlisle had given him some antiseptic so he would be able to fix his wounds without hurting him.

"I'm sure you ladies have some questions" Carlisle began as he took his seat next to Esme.

"How did you end up working for the Ace?" I started because that had now become my number one question, why if someone who knew the boys would they want to work for the people that took them.

"I have been a doctor for many years and after the boys were taken I found out the Ace was looking for a doctor to run health checks on the protectors. I was out of work and needed to find something so that when the boys returned I was able to provide for them" He sipped the tea that Alice had made before we had sat back down. I actually wanted something a little stronger but thought against it at the last second.

"I went in to the ace only knowing what I had heard. They wanted to test me so they brought in all the protectors at once and asked me to check them all over. I got half way through when I saw Edward, Emmett and Jasper in the line-up. I couldn't make a fuss though because I was supposed to not question anyone. I got the job and vowed to myself that I would do everything in my power to keep those boys safe, I clearly failed." He finished in a whisper.

"They are still alive" Rose sobbed.

"Yes but they are no longer themselves, I tried to come up with a plan to help them in the arena but every time I got close to one of them I found out something new about their training. Before I knew it they were grown and brainwashed and I could no longer do anything except make sure they were healthy" He argued.

"Which they are physically but I'm no longer sure of mentally" Esme added. "They have been through an ordeal that we don't know the true extent of yet. There could be triggers that we do not know about that could harm them." He eyes lowered to Emmett lying on the sofa and then to the other boys who were looking longingly out of the window.

"What do you suggest we do?" Rose enquired.

"You should know that I love these boys and I want to do everything in my power to keep them safe so I would like your permission to give them some kind of therapy which may help us to find out what really happened" We all nodded quickly letting Esme know that she had our blessing.

"Carlisle, I need you to answer something without censoring. Can you do that?" I asked and he nodded. I sighed but decided it would be better to just blurt it out instead of beating around the bush.

"How do they know about mounting?" There I said it.

"I knew that was coming, as a doctor I was the one to give the lesson." He stopped and sighed but we could tell he wasn't finished. "I planned to tell them about the right way to love a woman, you know the modern way, but when I got to the training room the guards handed me an envelope with a letter stating that I was to teach them this way otherwise I would be fired. In the envelope was a video of how they were taught." He blushed bright red when I realised he meant a video of people acting out the position.

"I had to explain it to them after and answer questions that I didn't really want to but I had to do it in order to stay close to the boys" He gulped his tea down and then sat back deflated.

"Do you have any idea who could have started this?" Alice piped up after a short while.

"No but I do think there is more than one person and I do believe they will not be easy to bring down" He sighed again.

We all knew this but we had yet to accept it because the truth is we all wanted to kill the person in charge. I wanted those people to be put in front of the people of this town and be made to apologise and then pay for what they had done to all the innocent men who never had the chance to be boys.

…

Carlisle and Esme left before dinner with a promise to return tomorrow with some things to help the boys remember them. Esme would be watching closely tomorrow to work out which would be the best strategy to take when working with the boys.

We had all missed lunch and now were very hungry so by the time the jacket potatoes and salad were ready the boys were so hungry they ate a large portion each. I decided that it would be best to put out small bowls of fillings so the boys could have the choice of which they wanted. Not only did it give them a choice it also worked a lesson for us because we could then pick out what the boys would eat and what they wouldn't.

They ate all of it.

After dinner the boys looked bored but I didn't want them to go and watch television because it seemed that was all they were doing now. So after the plates were washed and put away we decided that it was time to test their knowledge so after digging around in one of the boxes that had found its home in the sewing room we finally found scrabble.

Alice suggested that we play in our married teams and there was no way I was disagreeing with that so we set up the board and sat next to our husbands and began to tell them the rules. Rose let Emmett pick out the little squares so we followed suit and let the boys pick ours too.

Alice went first and then Rose and Edward and I were last. The boys managed to pick up on the game after five go's and seemed ready to take on the next round.

Emmett chose _room_ as his word.

Jasper chose _small_ as his word.

Edward chose a slightly more complicated word that made a lump appear in my throat. _Trapped _

After three go's we realised that they were telling us something. Edward, Emmett and Jasper were telling us about what happened in the _Ace_. They were creating words that described how they felt and what it looked like and some of their training.

I took a note of who put what word and what their expression was when they put it down.

I just hoped it would help Esme when the time came.

…..

Edward went to the toilet by himself when we were getting ready for bed. I had put his sleep wear on the sink in the bathroom hoping that he would take the hint and change but I wasn't holding my breath.

It turned out that I should have because I wouldn't have been holding it that long. Edward came out of the bathroom five minutes later in his sleepwear and a mint bubble surrounding him. Edward had brushed his teeth, changed his clothes and went to the toilet all by himself.

I took the bathroom next and could not help but wonder if Edward as smarter than he was letting on, while in the shower I decided that I was going to test this tomorrow and ask Carlisle's opinion on it too because no matter how much I wanted to believe that Edward was advancing this quickly I knew deep down something wasn't right.

I showered quickly and changed in my pyjama set before exiting the bathroom to find Edward pacing at his side of the bed.

"Edward, you can get into bed" I laughed gently but he continued to pace.

"Edward, what is wrong?" I grabbed his forearms and stopped his movements.

"Punishment for Emmett" He said with a furrowed brow.

"Emmett will not be punished, I don't know what happened to you in the arena but here you will not be punished for an accident" my hands were stroking his forearms without my knowledge and it apparently soothed him.

"What will happen?" his brow furrowed again.

"I'm not sure" I replied honestly and climbed into my side of the bed. He followed instantly and before I had chance to run through today's events I was asleep.

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><p><strong>Review please :) <strong>

**xxxx **


	6. My Mother?

**4,444 That's how many words there are in this chapter. **

**I know this is shorter but I needed to get something out and I am very sorry about the long wait it's just University is kicking my behind lately. It's actually peeing me off but anyway. **

**This chapter is for Loopy Lou to help cheer her up because of her back :) **

**Disclaimer: The same as before... and the time before that and so on... :) **

**Did anyone go to see The Avengers? If not... Just don't bother speaking to me. Nah, I'm playing. YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO.**

**I have a book recommendation actually... I know strange huh! **

**The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky. I am currently reading this on the bus everyday when I go to uni because it is an hour long trip. It is brilliant. **

******I HAVE A MISSION FOR YOU ALL. BEFORE NEXT CHAPTER I WANT TO REACH ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS AND I WANT EACH PERSON WHO REVIEWS TO TRY AND GUESS WHO THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE ACE ARE. IT'S NOT A COMP OR ANYTHING I JUST REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU THINK IT IS BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT... THERE ARE A FEW OPTIONS. **

**:) **

**I'll leave you to the chapter and my task :) **

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><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

It took Emmett a few days to understand that Rose was not going to punish him for an accident, she had tried to explain to him what happened but I don't think he understood any of the terms she had used.

Esme was now a shadow in our house because she was silently observing the boys and their everyday routines. She was there in the morning and she stayed until they went to bed. She had told us that she didn't want to miss any signs of progress or any possible triggers but we all knew that she just didn't want to leave them again. I understood that perfectly.

That is why with Alice's help I converted the downstairs spare living room into a bedroom for her and Carlisle so that they could stay here whenever they needed too. We have not shown Esme the room yet because we want to wait until Carlisle returns from his shift at the Ace. When Carlisle had brought up the fact that the Ace was still running I had felt incredibly guilty because although I was trying to help someone from the Ace I hadn't given a single thought to the other men still fighting and being brought.

It might be an outrageous scheme and goal but I wanted to finish the Ace. I want to look at the arena as it was torn down and I want to be there when the people behind it got put behind bars for their crimes.

I wanted to feel that relief. I wanted to watch that relief appear on everyone's face.

Carlisle walked through the door at five o'clock ready to begin his daily discussion with the boys. Since Esme had started her observations Carlisle had decided to take on a more direct approach. He wanted to know about the boy's physical and emotional welfare whereas Esme was looking at the mental and behavioural side which she could look at through their habits and body language. Carlisle would always try to interact with the boys and ask them certain questions about their training because even he didn't know the full extent of it yet. Edward seemed to be the only one willing to answer these questions which made me wonder just how smart he really was. When a particular question became a challenge for him he would avert his eyes and shake his head. I always wanted to go and hold his hand like I used too but Esme had said that he needed to learn to deal with the small things on his own and that if he needed me he would come and find me. To be honest I felt guilty because I wanted him to come and find me.

Does that make me a bad person? I kept asking myself this question over and over again but I never answered myself and I didn't want to talk to anyone about it so I just dealt with the emotion and shoved it to one side.

Carlisle headed straight for the sitting room where he knew the boys would be watching television and began and for some reason Edward was not answering any questions today. He was looking at the television but not paying any attention to it. I don't know if it because I was was paying too much attention to him or something Esme was picking up to but every now and then he would look around him and then rub his crotch with concentrated look on his face and when he realised it would not help he would groan and then move his hand away and go back to watching the television.

I wondered if maybe the jeans he was wearing were to tight or maybe the material of his cotton boxers were itchy to him but I needed to find out what it was quickly because I didn't want him to be uncomfortable in his own clothes.

After fifty minutes of trying to get some answers from the boys Carlisle went to the kitchen for a break. I followed him into the kitchen and prepared myself a cup of tea and sat at the table. I think he knew that I was in need of his advice because he sat down on the side opposite me and gave me a look that said ' are you going to talk or are we just going to sit here?' so I began.

"Edward keeps rubbing his crotch" I blurted, I didn't realise until the drink hit the table that Carlisle was in the middle of taking a large gulp of his tea. I blushed and cleaned the table with a tea towel that hung on back of my chair.

"Well, I was not expecting that" he laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh; it was more a surprised laugh which of course made me blush again. "There could be many reasons why he would do that. His clothes could feel constricting to him because he is not used to the material of the jeans. The washing powder may be irritating his skin and so on" He began to list the causes but I had already zoned out.

"Have you had sexual intercourse?" I snapped right back into the world when I heard that.

"Well… yes" There was no point in lying to him; he was his doctor after all.

He nodded as I explained what happened that night and he waited patiently for me to finish the list of reasons why I thought it might have been a good idea at the time.

"Okay…That adds another to the list of causes. Has he been trying to 'mount' recently?" He used air quotations and his voice was clipped when he said that word. I shook my head no and he nodded back to me clearly mentally checking things of his list.

"Well then he may be in need of a release. I'm not saying you have to give him one but I'm just saying if he tries to mount you in the next few days then you have your answer. You must remember that he is a man who has just discovered pleasure for the first time, it may take a while for both of you to understand this but it is very important" He gave me a small smile and headed back into the living room.

"Carlisle, I was wondering if you could do something for me" I asked before he was out the door. He nodded and came to sit back down.

"I was thinking about their sexual training the other day and wondered what I could do about it and now I think I have an answer but I need your help" I took out my large notebook from the drawer that was joined underneath the table. I cleared my throat and began.

"Since you were the one to show them when they were in the arena I thought it might make sense If you were to hold ' classes' if you will to re- teach them. That way they would know you are being serious because you were the one to teach them in the arena." I looked up to find him looking at me curiously.

"You want me to teach the boys how to have sex properly?" He asked with a small smile on his lips.

"Yes" Did he not get that?

"Bella, I was going to do that anyway. Why do you think I am spending so much time with them? I want them to get used to me before I jump into the ins and outs of where to put bits and bobs" He laughed and it instantly put me at ease.

I realised then I wasn't alone in this quest. I had many people backing me all wanting the same thing and I was proud of each and every one of them.

After dinner Alice gave me a look that stated it was time to give Esme and Carlisle their room.

"Esme, Carlisle there is something we want to show you" I said as Carlisle put down his mug of tea.

They followed me from the kitchen to the spare living room with confused looks on their beautiful faces.

"We know that you like to be here with the boys and we think it is perfectly understandable so we want you to know you are welcome to stay here whenever you like for as long as you like" Alice smiled and then pushed open the large oak doors leading to their bedroom.

Esme walked in first and threw her hand to her mouth when she took in the light green walls and plush bed we had managed to sneak in the other day while she was out shopping. Alice had decided that they needed something peaceful and relaxing so she picked the colours and paired the light green walls with white furniture and white sheets.

"I don't know what to say" She cried happily. I could tell that we had given her something she desperately wanted because she threw her arms around us not a moment later and sobbed into the embrace.

They were her children after all no matter what anyone said.

Of course when I thought that it hit a small part of my heart that was left open for my mother, I had always wondered why we were never enough for her. Why she left after I was born and had not returned. I felt a pang in my chest when I thought of her. It was strong enough to make me pull away from Esme, smile and then leave the smiling woman behind me.

I knew it wouldn't take long for them to find me out in the back yard on my swing. Esme always knew when something was wrong and I was fool to even think I could keep it from her.

"Alright, Explain" She commanded as she and Carlisle took a seat in front of me. I wanted to say that I was just worried about Edward but I knew she would see past that and call me out on my lies. A part of me wanted to spill my secrets to her because I knew she would keep them but I wanted to remain strong and not bring my baggage along for the ride when it was not needed.

"Bella I know something has been bothering you since I told you about those boys being likes son's to me" Esme took my hand in hers. _Seriously how did she know that?_ I was instantly glad she was here helping us with the boys now because she just proved that she does not miss a thing.

"It's just looking at you makes me think about my mum and how she left me" It felt good to finally admit that to someone but I couldn't help but think this was not the time and place to have this conversation.

We needed to focus on the boys and their progress not the lack of my mother's presence.

"Who told you that she left you?" Carlisle asked while looking at his wife for back up.

"My father, he said she left when I was a baby because this life was not for her" I admitted confused as to why he would ask such a question.

"Your father lied Bella. Renee wouldn't have left you like that." Esme stated and shot a look to her husband as if to send him a message I could not read.

"How do you know?" I whispered because that was all my vocal chords could produce.

"Because I was your mother's best friend until she disappeared the night of the attack" Esme spoke and her voice broke slightly at the end.

_She what?_ My brain was in shambles so I don't think I heard her correctly.

"That cannot be possible, my father would not lie to me" I said but it was rushed and I'm surprised she even understood me at all.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is the fact that your mother did not leave you on purpose. She was taken the night of the attack and we have not heard from her since. I know she's out there Bella and now it's up you to find her" She said while sitting back down and grasping my hand again.

"But where do I start? If what you say is true where do I look first?" My thought was interrupted when I heard light footsteps on the floor in the hallway.

"We shall talk about this later; it seems someone wants your attention" Carlisle patted Edward on the shoulder as he and Esme went into the house. I patted the seat beside me and he sat down.

"Are you sad?" He asked while looking at the tree at the bottom of the garden.

"Not anymore" I smiled to him hoping he would understand that he had made me happy.

"Good, I don't like it when people are sad" He whispered.

"Why not?" I asked surprised that he had said such a thing.

"Time is too precious to be sad all the time" and right there I knew he really was wise and was so much more than a fighter.

"How much do you really understand about this life?" I asked carefully waiting with bated breath for his answer.

"I understand that life here is the one I should have had" So he knew that the life he lived was not the one he was meant have.

"Edward, will you talk to Esme today?" I asked because I wanted her to try and dig deeper than what I was.

"No" He answered quickly.

"For me?" I said lamely hoping it may sway him.

"Yes" He replied and for that answer he got a kiss on the cheek and a small hug.

….

Edward had been speaking to Esme for just over an hour and I was still pacing outside of the door biting my finger nails waiting for Esme to call me in to talk about his progress.

I had been thinking about the comment he made earlier and I couldn't help but disagree with it, this life was for him but if it wasn't for his time in the arena I would have never met him. I would have gone about my life and been blissfully unaware of all the destruction going on around me. I'm sure that a bomb could have gone off in the arena and no one would have bat an eyelid because you just didn't. You go on with your life or you ended up in jail.

I heard the door open and a tried looking Edward come out of the room; I kissed him on the cheek and smiled at him. He yawned and rubbed his eyes so I decided it was his bed time.

"Esme, I'll be in to chat after I put Edward to bed" I felt stupid saying that because he was a grown man and I was treating him like a small child who had to be tucked in.

"Okay sweetie" She called back.

Edward brushed his teeth after his shower and went to the toilet before climbing into his side of the bed. He yawned again and stared at me with a confused expression.

"Bedtime? "He asked sitting up.

"I need to go and talk to Esme first and then I shall be coming to bed. You're tired though sweetie, so why don't you just rest until you fall asleep. I won't be too long." I kissed his cheek and turned off the light before going back downstairs to Esme.

"It's been a long day" She said as she sipped her red wine with a sigh.

"Tell me about it" I sighed too and finally sunk into the soft seat we had put in the games room. We figured she would need another room to talk to the boys when she finally got round to giving them some means of therapy so we placed a few comfortable seats in there and let her do the rest.

"Tell me about my mother please" I whispered.

"Your mother was my best friend – is my best friend and always will be. She was always smiling no matter how bad her day was and no matter what she would always helped those who needed it. She looked just like you, you know. So very beautiful but she felt like she was missing something then one day she came to me and told me she was pregnant with you and how it was going to change her life. It turned out that was what she was missing. She was smiling everyday while pregnant with you; she would always have her hand on her belly even in the early days when you were barely the size of a walnut. She told me when she went into labour that it was the happiest day of her life so now do you understand why I believe she would never have left you. The year you were born the village was attacked and I'm sure you have heard that they wanted our women. It's strange that the men wanted our women but only left with one."

"My mum" I whispered looking down at the wine glass on the table.

"Your father sent out many search parties but they never found anything. After that your father didn't come out of the house for a while, many believed he was grieving the loss and that he was too depressed to even come out but slowly he did and he threw himself into whatever work he does" She continued.

"He lost weight too and he was off with me when I spoke to him about you and he said that he had hired a nanny because he was trying his best but it was not good enough. He wanted you to be cared for 24/7 just in case he was too emotional one day to do it." She scoffed.

I could tell she didn't like my father.

"The ace happened a few months later and then everything went that way and no one talked about Renee anymore" She wiped the tear from her cheek and smiled softly at me.

"Do you think she is out there still?" I asked bravely.

"Yes. She's stronger than that. I also think she knows who is behind the Ace" She said confidently.

"You don't think it's her do you?" I said a little too loud which caused Esme to raise her eyebrows at me.

"No, I do not think Renee is part of it. She may be a tough cookie but she has a heart of gold Bella just like you" She finished and poured more wine into her glass.

"So is Edward talking to you yet?" I asked changing the subject.

She shook her head and took a large gulp from her glass. I knew it was painful for her so I stopped asking questions and looked down.

"He looks for you when you're not there you know" She whispered contently.

"I'm his wife, his commander" I spat at the floor hoping it would rid my mouth of the poison those words actually were.

"You're much more than that" She got up from her position and sat down next to me on the sofa.

"Sometimes I wonder if the decision's I make are the right ones. I mean, what if he doesn't want to be the way I am teaching him. What if he is content the way he is because he feels it's who he is. Am I wrong for trying to change something he sees as right and just? I sometimes wonder that he will turn one day after all this cleared up and ask me why I changed him. Why he wasn't good enough for me in the first place and it scares me" I admit for the first time to anyone.

"You are doing the right thing Bella, thanks to you, Alice and Rosalie you are giving these boys freedom to make their own choices and be more than trained animals. You are giving them what I feel they want but will not admit too. Everyone in this house feels it is right and I would be lying if I said Rose and Alice didn't have these doubts too but I will tell you what I told them. Take one day at a time. Love is stronger than anything. You love Edward. I love those boys and so does Carlisle. You also love Rose and Alice like they are your sisters which means you would do anything for them. We will get through this together and when the time comes we will all look back and thank the makers of the Ace for helping us cross paths with those boys" I couldn't help it, I sobbed like a little girl. I had big fat tears dripping down my face by the time she had finished and in that moment I loved Esme.

I threw my arms around her and clung to her with a death grip. She wrapped her arms around me and said that she understood what I was going through and it was important to come to her rather than bottle all this up. I nodded my head and made a silent vow and an out loud promise to her that I would always go to her or Carlisle if I ever needed anything.

"You also need to talk to Alice and Rosalie about your worries with the boys because believe it or not they are going through the exact same things" she gently tapped my on the nose with her finger, gave me another large hug and then went to find Carlisle.

…

"So Emmett understands now?" I asked Rose while sitting on her bed painting her toe nails. Emmett was in front of the television Rose had set up in her room. He seriously needed to stop watching that.

"Yep, It took a few times but he finally understood" she smiled his way and then picked up the magazine closest and began to flip to a random page.

"I'm so happy for him." I said honestly.

We talked about his progress for a while and then moved onto what we planned to do tomorrow with the boys. I wanted the boys to get some fresh air in town but I knew that would be disastrous due to society's rules and how different they were from what we were trying to achieve. Taking them out into the town would cause unwanted attention and may put their progress back even further because I would have to tell them to act their right way. _Wrong way? _I had no clue what to call it anymore because according to us our way of life was right but to the outside world it was wrong.

We avoided that topic and went onto something else.

Before I knew it Emmett was turning off the television and coming to rest at Rose's side. I quietly got up from the bed and kissed Rose on the forehead while apologising for not confiding in her these past few days. She waved me off and blew a kiss to me before I made it out the door.

I was just about to knock on Alice's room to explain that I would talk to her in the morning when I heard whimpers coming from my room. I ran like the wind and didn't realise I was shouting until I made it to the bedroom.

Edward was tangled in the sheets covered in a cold sweat whimpering. He was having a powerful nightmare and it made me heart drop to my stomach. I was at his side an instant later trying to soothe him with calming words and soft touches to his face.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle burst into the room in a black robe and slippers. He had his medical bag with him and Esme following after. I noticed everyone out in the hallway and I wanted to scream at them to leave because I didn't want them looking in like it was some kind of show.

I tried to calm him down again but nothing was working and it scared me.

He had never had a nightmare this bad before but then I was always with him to calm him down before it could escalate into something more. I could tell when one was coming because he would begin to twitch and then move a lot, the whimpers would come next and then he would begin to say "no".

I got onto my side of the bed and pulled him so that he was curled into my side with his head resting close to my chest. I didn't know if this would work but it was worth a shot and that's really all I had right now.

It took a while and some soothing words before whatever was tormenting him seemed to stop. He whimpered a few times and then relaxed into my chest. His hair was wet with sweat but I didn't care he was finally calm and I was not going to move him.

Finally satisfied that he seemed to be over his nightmare everyone began to leave with a quiet goodnight. I was uncomfortable in my jeans and I knew in this position I would not be able to get them off without lifting Edward off me and waking him up.

"Rose, can you take off my jeans please" I whispered just before she left the room. She giggled slightly at my predicament but followed through with my plea. I moved my hips up slightly to get them off but he began to squeeze me harder. Rose stopped for a second and waited to see if he would wake but thankfully he seemed in a deep sleep so she continued.

He did it again but this time he spoke.

"My Bella" He stated and squeezed me even tighter before smiling and then falling even deeper. Rose caught my eye and reached up a wiped a tear I hadn't realised I shed. She kissed my forehead and pulled the sheets over us before leaving the room.

"Yes, Your Bella" I whispered into his hair and for some reason, I cried.

I cried for him and the other boys, I cried for Esme's heart break and Carlisle thoughts about him failing. I cried about not knowing my mother and I cried for my father who I didn't really know anymore.

I just cried and it felt wonderful.

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><p><strong>REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHO YOU THINK IS BEHIND THE ACE... GO ON TAKE A GUESS. <strong>

**:) **

**Thank you to the people who review every time I update your reviews mean a lot to me especially on tough days so please don't stop sending me the love :) **

**Love you all :) ( can you tell I am very emotional right now... might aswell just call me Bella) **

**xxx Sheila xxx **


	7. Teddy

**Sorry about the wait, I didn't want to draw attention to myself due to 'The Great Purge'. **

**I will be backing up all of my fics on TWCS now just incase. **

**Thank you for all the reviews, you guys have been amazing and I am so glad you decided to guess who you think is behind the ace. **

**:) **

* * *

><p>The next morning I woke to the feel of soft hands on my face, they were gentle and mainly focused around my eyes. I must have looked a sight because of all the crying last night. I knew right now I would have puffy eyes and tear stains down my cheeks, my hair would be larger and plastered to my face and my nose might have been a little bit snotty.<p>

But to be honest I didn't care. I felt wonderful this morning and I was going to make sure everyone knew it.

Edward's eyes caught mine and as soon as he saw my smile his frown disappeared.

"Good morning" I said far too cheerfully. I threw the covers off myself and literally skipped to the bathroom. I have no idea why but I felt like singing in the shower, so I did. I sang my heart out because I was happy. I cried all the tears last night and now was a time for happy thoughts and Edward.

My head was consumed with thoughts of him while showering and of course it set my heart racing and that's when the inappropriate thoughts started. I could picture him in the shower with me, his body glistening as the water fell over his large shoulders. I could almost feel the water falling between us making the glass steam up and my heart pound.

_You need to get out now Bella_ I told myself. Yes, I needed to get out before I worked myself into a state of frenzy. With a small frown I grabbed a large white towel and quickly jumped out of the shower.

_I wonder what they want for breakfast. _That was when the idea hit me, I needed to bond with the other boys and what better way than to get them to do something for their wife's. I got dressed quickly and found Edward waiting on the bed for me. He stood and tried to shield himself from my eyes, but I caught a glimpse. Edward was aroused and there was nothing I could do for him.

He smiled at me slightly and then went into the bathroom, the door was shut behind him and then the shower was turned on. I had already seen him in the shower but I couldn't help it.

I peeked.

I paced around my room trying to get rid of the dirty thoughts. Oh, who am I kidding, I wanted him. I had been watching him over the last few days and I saw the way his muscles rippled when he was climbing the tree. I saw the ways his fingers moved and now thinking about it made me really warm inside.

I was feeling something for him that I had not felt before and for some strange reason it did not scare me, it excited me to the point of pure addiction. The way he spoke of his claim on me last night just fuelled this strange desire to be his fully. I wanted him to know that I was his no matter what happened. I wanted him to be able to come to me when he felt an ache and have me soothe it for him… But I knew it would never work out now.

He needed to be taught what 'wife' meant. We all needed to be taught how to act in the presence of someone you are attracted too.

I think Carlisle has his work cut out for him.

I finally managed to make my heart and thoughts stop racing when Edward joined me in the bedroom. I handed him his white shirt, underwear and Jeans and he got dressed in silence. I wanted him to speak to me but it seemed he was still embarrassed about this morning.

Maybe I should tell him it was perfectly natural.

I glanced at him and decided it would be better if I left that to Carlisle, he was after all their doctor and father figure. He would be able to tell them everything they needed to know about the human body and what to do with what… I suppose. I couldn't help but think that this might be embarrassing for Carlisle too, I mean aren't parents supposed to get embarrassed when talking to their children about the birds and the bees and all that business. I knew Carlisle would be professional about it but what if deep down he was cringing.

Oh, the joys of the Ace.

…

Emmett was wide awake when I made it to Rose's room after asking Edward to go and wait downstairs for me. He sat up when I came in the room and snuggled closer to Rose to form a shield around her. I smiled and put my finger to my lips before motioning him towards me with my hand. I was surprised when he gently lifted the covers and crept over to me. Surprised was actually an understatement, Shocked would be more beneficial right now.

"Would you like to make Rose breakfast?" I said quietly because Rose was still sleeping despite Emmett's heavy footsteps over to me. He nodded his head enthusiastically and went straight to the drawers on the other side of the room and pulled out some clothes for him to wear. I smiled at him and pointed to the hallway where I would wait. He came out a few minutes later dressed in loose black trousers and a light blue shirt. He may not have been my husband but I was proud of him for getting himself dressed. It just proved that I had neglected talking to Rose and Alice because that was something they would have defiantly told me. We crept silently to Alice's room and I motioned for Emmett to wait outside while I went and got Jasper, to my surprise Jasper was already dressed and standing by the window which over looked the garden. I smiled at him softly and motioned for him to follow me out into the hallway, he hesitated at first which I was expecting but then moved quicker when he saw Emmett poke his head round the door.

I guess he still doesn't feel comfortable with me.

"Right, what do you think they would like for breakfast?" I asked while looking in the fridge. We needed to go shopping soon otherwise it would be tinned soup for dinner every night. The boys had been with us long enough to see what I could make for breakfast so I had no worries of them saying they did not know.

"Bacon" Emmett said with a small hint of droll on the side of his mouth. I took the bacon from the fridge and placed it on the side.

"Eggs" Jasper said a little louder than his normal volume which stunned me for a minute. I took the eggs from the fridge and placed them in front of Jasper. He smiled at me, lifted the lid and began to inspect the eggs for any breakages.

"What would you like?" I asked Edward. He thought for a moment before getting up from his seat and going over to the bread basket and pulling out the fresh loaf of bread that Carlisle had brought on his way home.

It made me feel warm inside when Esme referred to this house as her home because I knew she was happy here. She had her husband and her purpose in life back. She was happy again and I never wanted to her leave.

During the preparation of breakfast the boys were set different tasks. Emmett laid the table, Jasper filled the cups with juice and Edward helped to get everything set on the plates and dishes. Before I placed the hot food on the table I told Emmett and Jasper to go and wake up the girls. They looked startled for a second before dropping the forks they were holding and running out of the room. I couldn't help but be reminded of small children when they did that. I needed to ask Esme about that one later.

"Edward, do you think you can go and knock on Esme's door and tell them that breakfast is ready?" He smiled and then left the room. Whether he would pluck up the courage to do it was an entirely different matter but a few moments later he returned with Esme and Carlisle in tow.

My happiness must have shown on my face because he came over to me and stuck his cheek out. I laughed at his cockiness but kissed him on the cheek because after all he deserved it. A few moments later Emmett came through the kitchen door with a very tired and not impressed Rose, maybe I should have warned him about waking her up in the mornings. Alice ran through the kitchen door when Rose had sat down and literally squealed when she saw the food.

"Jasper said he helped make breakfast" She partially yelled while jumping up and down. Rose groaned but then looked at me for my answer.

"That's right, the boys cooked breakfast this morning" I sat down next to Edward and began to pile the eggs onto my plate.

"What did you help make Jasper?" Jasper blushed but then answered Alice with a small whisper of Eggs. He had taken great care when I showed him how to correctly crack an egg and cook it. He paid attention when I told him to try and not get any shell in the pan and of course that made him look closely for any signs of stray shells.

"Emmett, why don't you tell Rose what you did this morning" I hinted and then went back to my breakfast.

"Bella showed me how to set the table and cook bacon" I dropped my fork at the mention of my name which caused everyone to look at me. I wasn't sure but I think that was the first time he had said my name. I blinked and picked up the dropped fork.

"That's right, Jasper cooked the Eggs and got the drinks" Alice beamed at my mention of her husband and gave him a hug.

"Edward, what did you do this morning?" Esme asked.

He pursed his lips for a moment. "I buttered the toast and helped Bella fill the plates when all the food was cooked" It did not escape me that his sentence was longer than the other boys. Esme noticed this as well and nodded her head.

"Well thank you boys. It was delicious." Carlisle stated as he got up from the table and left the room.

"Is something wrong?" Rose asked quietly while the boys continued eating.

"One of the boys at the Ace got into a fight last night with a guard. He was killed and now the owner is having another sale to get the very violent and older ones out" Esme sighed and slammed her fork down.

"Surely that would be dangerous for the ladies who would become their wife's" I said quickly because I was beginning to panic. If the violent ones are out that means that anything can happen. Women could be killed. The thought alone was too painful to deal with.

"The owner of the Ace does not see it that way, a man is money. Once out of the Ace he is not the owner's problem anymore. He sees the man that died as a loss so he is taking action to make sure none of the others attempt escape" She informed us.

Then it clicked, I knew what we could do.

"Esme, do you have any idea who is going to bid at the next sale" She nodded her head.

"Boys why don't you go and watch Television or go out in the garden" They all stood and left at my proposal.

When the boys were out of earshot I began.

"I cannot sit by and wait for news that something has happened to one of the girls in the village. There is only one possible thing left to do. We have knowledge of the Ace now, we have Carlisle who has already said he will help and we have you Esme. I think it's time we let these girls know what their fathers are getting them into" Rose shook her head at my proposal.

"Bella, it is very dangerous to do that. If we get caught, we will be put in jail or killed. The boys will put back into the Ace and then what would happen? You need to think Bella, is it worth losing the boys over?" I took her questions into consideration but I already knew what I was going to do.

"I cannot stand by when I know I have information that can save them from being hurt" Esme smiled at me and in that moment I think I gained respect.

"Bella, what are you planning?" Alice asked me with raised eyebrows.

"I am going to meet with them and let them know what they are in for and some of the things we have done with the boys and how they have acted. I will have to tell them that the man they will be marrying is either older than the rest or more violent but either way I will warn them." Rose bit her lip and I could see she already was having doubts about the plan.

"Bella, You can't just tell them about what they are getting because then people will begin to question how you know" Esme nodded her head in agreement.

"But if I don't tell them there could be deaths" I argued.

"But if you do, you could die!" Rose shouted.

"Wait…" I ran outside and called the boys back inside.

"Boys we need to know who is or was the most violent person in the Ace" They licked their lips, looked down and they did something I never thought possible.

They pointed at Edward.

"That can't be possible!" we all shouted.

"You are not violent" I whispered at Edward.

"You haven't made me angry yet!"

The fact that he said 'you' made me shiver with fright. If I made him angry he could turn violent and hurt me. I was instantly pulled back to the day I met him, the snarls and the attacks on the men who tried to get to me. He wasn't just being protective of me; he was being violent towards them. That was his true nature, that's why the guard had the whip.

I swallowed nervously and tried to get my head around the fact that I had been sleeping next to the most violent man in Ace. My hands became clammy when I realised I could have been hurt worse when I gave him my virginity.

I tried to breathe normally.

"Does that scare you Bella" He asked slowly. I don't know whether it just me and the new information or it was him but that question sounded like one of a killer. He sounded like he was asking me if I was scared he was going to kill me, as if he enjoys me frightened.

I didn't answer, Instinct took over and only a few seconds later I was pressed against the back of my locked bedroom door. I needed to calm down but the thought of making him angry and then him hurting was just too much and I was scared.

I heard noises from downstairs and a few squeals before Carlisle's voice sounded throughout the house. I sank to the floor and tried to control my breathing again, I must have been breathing hard because I did not notice Rose and Alice were pounding on the door until they started screaming my name.

"Bella, let us in… Quickly" I jumped to my feet and opened the door before I heard heavy footsteps on the stairs.

"What's happening?" I shouted we locked the door behind us.

"Bella, why did you run?" Rose shouted at me. She shook her head and started to pace.

"I just froze… everything just happened" I said shakily.

"Bella, what did you think?" Alice asked as she placed her small hands around mine. I swallowed nervously yet again and closed my eyes.

"I don't know. I thought of everything. How he could have hurt me when we had sex for the first time, I thought that I had been sleeping next to a violent man since the day at the Ace and I thought about the first time I met him." I sank down to the floor again.

"Bella, Carlisle wants to speak to you. He put Edward to sleep like he did Emmett" Rose unlocked the door and pulled me out of it. Alice followed and then went off to find Jasper. Rose dragged me – because I wasn't moving – to the games room where Esme spoke to us and knocked on the door. Carlisle answered and moved to the side so I could enter. I stopped when I saw Edward lying on the sofa at the other side of the room.

"It's alright, he won't get angry" Carlisle whispered in my ear and then took a seat. I took the seat which was the furthest away from Edward.

"There are many things you don't know about him. I knew about his anger before I came here but I must tell you the story before you accuse me of trying to get any of you hurt" I nodded my head.

"Now, as you know I am the doctor in the Ace which requires me to know certain things about my patients. I know Edward has an anger issue because I was the one to treat not only him but the other participant as well. Just before Edward was going to be sold and go into the arena I asked to see him. I told them a lie about wanting to check his shoulder… I really just wanted to ask him a question." Carlisle said as he looked back at Edward.

"I asked if he had thought he would hurt anyone when he left the Ace, he said that he knew he would. I asked him if he would hurt the woman who he went home with. He said only if she makes me angry." He gritted his teeth but continued.

"I told him that this was a possibility and that he shouldn't use his anger on a woman because it was not right.—"

"I told you if she made me angry I wouldn't be able to control myself" Edward butted in. He stood and then began to walk towards me; I gripped the chair hard and tried in vain not to show that I was scared of him.

"That was before I saw you and felt your warmth" he knelled in front of me and reached out to take one of my hands on the arm rest.

"I cannot say I will never hurt you but I promise I will do everything to try and stop myself"

I pulled his hands to my lips and placed a small kiss on them. We could get through this, I know we can.

"Edward, why don't you tell Bella what you and Esme talk about in session" Carlisle spoke up.

Edward nodded and then smiled at me. "We are trying to work on my anger" he said.

"That's brilliant" I praised and gave me a kiss on the cheek, I think it meant something to him because his eyes changed from frustrated to content.

"So Emmett has flashbacks, Edward has anger issues… what about Jasper?" I regretted asking the moment it came out of my mouth but I needed to understand these men.

"I think Jasper should tell Alice that himself" Carlisle said with a small sigh.

"Is he dangerous?" I asked worried about my best friend's welfare. Edward shook his head and sighed along with Carlisle.

"Alice is safe, but she does need to be warned" I nodded and let it go. Alice would tell me when the time was right.

….

After almost having a break down it was time for lunch, Carlisle finally left for the Ace and I was just setting the table when the doorbell rang. A large man with brown hair and a soft smile handed me a package and letter and had me sign on the dotted line. When I looked back up to his face I could tell he was looking around the foyer, I cleared my throat and his eyes snapped back to mine.

"Bye, Bells" He smiled and then ran down the garden path. I was frozen on the spot. Mrs Cope had told me when I was eight that my mother used to call me bells because I had little teddy that had a bell around its neck and I would shake that thing night and day until father took it from me.

So how did the postman know my nickname that only my mother- who had been gone since I was a baby- used to call me? I took the package into the living room where everyone except Carlisle was sitting and tore open the letter.

_Bells_

_You are doing the right thing._

_I shall be with you soon_

_-Mum._

The letter dropped from my hands onto my lap. Alice and Rose instantly grabbed at it and took in the words that made no sense to me. She was alive? She knew what I was doing? All this time, she knew?

They looked at the box on the table and handed it to me; I took a deep breath and ripped the paper surrounding a small white box. I opened the lid and automatically started bawling. Inside the small white box lay the white teddy, with the bell around its neck and a picture of a woman.

Esme came around the back of the sofa and gasped at the picture.

"Bella, that's your mum" she whispered in my ear.

I don't remember anything else.

…

I awoke sometime later to someone pacing behind the sofa and soft hands brushing my hair away from my face.

I groaned and opened my eyes.

"Thank God" Edward shouted as he came to sit on the floor near my head. I wanted to laugh at him and say I only fainted but I knew that might not go down so well with him. So I didn't say anything, I just smiled.

"So my mums alive and coming to see me soon… Edward has an anger problem, the owner of the Ace is having a sale and we don't know any more than we did a few days ago" I sighed.

"We have a lot of work to do ladies" I groaned and looked them straight in the eyes.

"We need a bigger plan. Boys, we need your help" I stated and grabbed the picture of my mum. If she was coming to see me, I was going to be ready.

…

Lunch was spent eating crisps and snacking on whatever we had in the kitchen cupboards. I taught the boys how to make sandwiches and tea while Rose and Alice looked through the guidebooks.

"Right, from what Carlisle has told me each male has to have at least two inspections a day, one physical and then a mental exam. They are taught basic reading and writing skills and can perform simple tasks. The rest of the day is spent training to kill their opponent." Esme said as Rose wrote it down.

"But you said a man is money so why is he" we thought it would be easier to call the owner male. "Having them kill the others" It just didn't make any sense.

"The weaker ones who die in the arena are not worth anything to him; the ones who show the most potential are the only ones he is looking to sell. A man who gets sold to a father is worth at least four weaker ones. So the money he makes from them, keep the weaker ones training until they are ready to fight" Esme said relaying the information Carlisle had told her.

"How do you know this?" We asked.

"Carlisle has been eavesdropping ever since we came here. He has been able to get some information but he wanted me to try and put the clues together before I told you. That way you wouldn't do something silly" She looked at me when she said the last line.

"I wouldn't do something silly" I said in mock horror.

"Who wanted to get herself killed this morning?" Rose said pointedly.

"Okay, I get your point… but still" I pouted.

"He didn't want to tell you until he had solid information, he wanted to protect you and the boys" She said while reaching out and touching my hand.

"Still feels shitty though"

"I know, but it is better to have solid facts rather than false information" I nodded at the logic and got rid of my pout.

By the time dinner came Rose, Alice, Esme and I were too mentally exhausted to cook. We just sat looking at the fridge hoping that the food would become magic and cook itself. After half an hour of not moving Carlisle finally walked in the front door and frowned at the table of paperwork and guidebooks. He saw our tired eyes and sighed.

"Hey boys, come in here" The boys came running at his command and took in the scene in front of them. We must have looked a state, we had our heads on the table and papers spread around all over the place.

"Go and pick up your wife's" I felt myself being lifted into the bridal position and then being taken from the room. My eyes were dropping and my head felt like it was trying to process binary codes. I rested my head on Edward's strong chest and just inhaled his scent. It didn't last long because I felt the sofa curl around my back and a kiss being placed on my forehead. I heard, rather than saw each of my friends being placed on a chair or sofa. They groaned and then there was silence.

It didn't take long for me to drift off.

When I woke I smelt something sweet coming from the kitchen, I was a little disorientated as to who would be cooking at this time of night. I looked around and found Esme sleeping peacefully on the love seat; Rose curled into the chair and Alice with her arm hanging down from the other sofa. The boys had moved us from our positions on the table and set us in here to take a nap.

It didn't matter that Carlisle was withholding information at the moment.

It seemed even in sleep people wake up to food if they are hungry. Edward and the rest of the boys came in not even a few minutes later and held out their hands for their wife's. I cocked my head to the side but took Edward's hand. Esme had a knowing look on her face and smiled at Carlisle. If that man did something to get in bad books I think he may have made up for it.

They led us to the dining room we never used and pushed open the two large wooden doors.

On the table lay candles, flowers and plates full of the dinner that we could not be bothered to cook. Carlisle cleared his throat which made us all turn and look at him; he tilted his head in the direction of the table. I felt a large hand wrap around mine and begin to take me somewhere. When I arrived at a place setting, Edward followed Carlisle's lead and pulled out my seat. When we were all sat at the table, Carlisle began to pour wine into the expensive looking glasses only my father would have chosen.

It is strange that I wanted to smash them?

"You're such a soppy man" Esme cooed softly and planted a kiss on her husband's lips. They both blushed when the ladies and I began to giggle at their show of affection.

"Gents, why don't you show the ladies what we cooked them for dinner?" he smiled and then waited for the boys to pull of the lids of all the foods. In a large pot at the centre of the table sat the most delicious looking sweet and sour chicken with rice. I inhaled deeply and sighed in contentment.

I just wanted to show Edward how proud than thankfully I was for all that he had done today but when I went to lean in to give him a kiss on the cheek he turned to smile at me.

Our lips met and neither of us pulled away until he moaned in my mouth and tried to pull me into his lap and deepen the kiss.

So Edward's jeans aren't the problem, Edward was in need of a release and it seemed he wanted it right at the dinner table.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review :)<strong>

**Right, this time- Where do you think Bella's mum is? **

**xxx **


	8. He's a what?

******What's this? Another chapter? **

**I would like to say that if any of you are under the age of eighteen please be warned... I do not wish for you to see something if you are not old enough. **

**Anyway... Hurricane by 30 seconds to Mars is what inspired me to write this fic. **

**Right also... Please note that Jasper was intended from the start to be how I have put him. Please stick with it as it shall be explained later in the fic. **

**Disclaimer: Same as ever!**

* * *

><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

I heard throats being cleared but I couldn't stop. I felt Edward's hands creeping up over my hips and I felt his arousal were I needed it the most.

More throats were cleared and I think my name may have been called once or twice. No- we need to stop.

I pulled away from him and instantly missed the warmth and sweetness of his lips. I knew that I wanted him but that didn't mean I was going to do anything until he was ready and even though he seemed physically ready I knew mentally he still had a long way to go. I climbed out of his lap and took a peek into his eyes.

They were full of anger and lust. _I know sweetie, just a little longer._

"I think it's time for the birds and the bees don't you?" Carlisle said trying to break the tension at the table. I nodded my head quickly, that was exactly what was needed. I didn't look at Carlisle or the other ladies around the table because I was too busy trying to hide the monster of all blushes and my pounding heart. Surely, Edward could not want me that much.

When everyone had finished their food there was an awkward silence before Carlisle's chair legs scraped along the wood flooring. The boys followed suit and began to carry the plates as instructed to the kitchen. It did not escape my notice that they did everything Carlisle told them too without looking at us for permission.

When all the plates were taken from the table and all wine had been consumed Carlisle poked his head around the door.

"Birds and the bees" he blushed and then left the room.

He wasn't going to tell them about it now, was he? About… where everything goes at this time of night. Surly he would need some time to prepare a speech or at least mentally prepare himself for the questions they were going to ask.

We sat looking confused until Esme's light giggle broke through the confusion.

"Come on ladies, Carlisle is a doctor and he has had a lot of experience" She winked at all of us and it made me uncomfortable. It shouldn't have because she was not old or anything, she was just… the only mother figure I had. I didn't want to think about her doing all of the things that Carlisle was telling the boys because she was innocent to me.

She was everything I hoped I would become when I reached her age. Beautiful, smart and completely devoted to the ones she loved. You could tell from just one look that she would kill for anyone who was close to her heart. She would kill to save the life of someone she desperately cared for and she would do it without hesitation or fear.

For a brief second I wondered how long my mother meant when she said soon. A day, a week… a year? How long until I would lay my eyes on the woman who brought me into this world and then left me all alone. Left me with a father who rather than care for me hired someone else to do it. Left me to marry a man who was brought up in Ace, a man I had fallen deeply in love with…

I had fallen in love him.

There was no point in denying the truth, no point in sugar coating it.

I loved him.

And right now I wanted to hold him, to kiss him and tell him that no matter what happened he would always have me. I wanted to tell him that I would always be there no matter how angry, scared or utterly broken he became. I would always be there to help him deal with it.

"I love him" I whispered.

"You what?" Alice asked quietly.

"I love him Alice, Already." I said this time with a little more feeling.

"You're not the only one who loves their husband Bella" Rose quirked from opposite me. I met her eyes and found her smiling.

"Yes I love Emmett and Alice loves Jasper, It was bound to happen sooner or later sweetie" She said mockingly. She was mocking me for not realising I loved him sooner?

"But how do we let them know" Alice asked from her spot by Jaspers empty seat. Her hair was sticking up in so many different directions due to her nap that it made me laugh lightly.

"You show them" Esme said softly.

My eyes caught the crystal glass that held no wine in the dark wood cabinet behind Esme's head. I pushed away from the table, pulled the door open and grabbed the first one my fingers touched.

I took it over to the window and threw it out, smiling when I heard the smash of glass as it hit the patio below the window.

"My father knows I hate this crap" I said with a frustrated sigh. When I turned back around Esme was smiling at me and Alice and Rose were trying hard not to laugh at my frustration.

I left the dining room feeling better than ever.

….

One the way up the stairs I picked out everything I hated in the house. I started the taps on the large tub that Edward had put me in after my first time. I poured some vanilla scented bath bubbles into the warm water and began to undress.

I didn't expect someone to come running into the room looking for me.

My jeans, shirt, shoes and socks were next to my feet which left me in my very white lacy underwear. I blushed crimson when it finally registered that Edward was standing in the doorway gaping like a fish at my body. I pulled the white towel from the heated rack and stepped towards him.

I didn't know that almost being caught naked by your husband that you haven't known very long can have alarming effects on your heart and lady bits. My heart was ready to curl into a ball and recuperate her shock and embarrassment, my lady bits however wanted me to strip him down and get him in the tub with me.

"How was your talk with Carlisle?" I asked shakily while trying to make sure all my important bits were covered.

_Bella you are being stupid he has seen it all before._

_No he hasn't _

But that was just it; I wasn't being stupid because I knew he wasn't mentally prepared for any of this right now. I knew he wasn't ready to take any step towards a physical relationship with me yet.

"Interesting" He whispered after shaking his head.

"What did you talk about?" I asked him. He blushed almost as crimson as I had but then recovered.

"Chemistry" He said with a small chuckle.

Chemistry?

That made absolutely no sense. What does chemistry have to do with the ins and outs of sex? What do chemicals have to do with anything sexually related? I nodded my head though and waited to see if he would close the door.

He took a step forward.

"Bella, what makes you different from me?" He asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" I honestly had no idea to what he was referring, different as in what?

"Why do you look different?" He eyed my breasts that were peeking out the top of the towel. Oh, that kind of different.

"Didn't Carlisle tell you?" He nodded his head. He wanted to see me, all of me to understand better.

"You want to see me?" I pointed to my chest and he nodded quickly while licking his lower lip. This could end very badly or it could be a step in the right direction. Either way, Edward was asking me to do something for him… that he obviously wanted. He was asking me to do something instead of doing everything I asked him.

I felt giddy inside knowing that he was moving forward, maybe not in the direction we had hoped but on an understanding level at least. Edward wanted to understand what made him and I so different physically.

I pulled my towel away from my body and let his eyes wander for a small amount of time.

His eyes clenched when he looked at the small lace panties I was wearing. This was what he meant, of course.

They only watched animals never humans.

"Close the door" I commanded.

He paused for a second, ripped his eyes away from my body and then closed the door.

"Did Carlisle tell you what you have that I don't?" I asked quietly almost as embarrassed as Carlisle must have been when talking about the birds and the bees.

"Partially" Oh lord, this was going to be a long night.

A small idea began to form at the back of my head, a tiny thing that grew and grew until it was the only thought I had.

"Take off your clothes" I whispered while lifting my arms behind my back. He looked alarmed for a second before doing as I asked.

I unhooked my bra and let it fall to the floor; his eyes grew wide as he took in my naked chest. It had not escaped my notice that he had been looking at that area of my body many times since I had met him.

Once he was on his boxers I stopped him.

"I have breasts which fill with milk when I become pregnant" I reached out for his hand and placed it on my naked skin. He breathed in harshly and then began to twitch his fingers; he grew bolder and cupped my breast.

"Pregnant?" He asked slowly.

"When a baby grows inside of me" I muttered softly while secretly enjoying the feel of his fingers on my skin.

"I don't get pregnant?" He asked quietly, obviously mesmerised by the flesh in his hands.

"No, but you are needed to create the baby" I placed my hand on his and trailed it down to my stomach and abdomen.

"I keep the baby safe here" I ran his fingers along the skin and waited for his reaction.

"My baby?" He asked shakily.

"In the future, maybe" I smiled and lost all breathing ability when he nodded quickly and smiled.

"How else?" His fingers were trailing patterns along my skin carefully. I hooked my fingers in to the sides of his black boxers and guided them over his erection. He looked down at it and flushed.

"It happens when a man is attracted to a woman" I smiled and then hooked my fingers into mine.

He stopped me.

His fingers found their way into my panties and slowly he began to drag them down my legs, I took a large breath and waited for him to run screaming from the room.

"Different" He muttered while looking at his own manhood.

"That is because I am a woman and you are a man, we are different because we need to be for us to be able to work together. We have different bodies so that we can create new life" I smiled softly at him and took his hand to lead it down there.

He gasped when he took in the difference between his body and mine.

"You are so small and fragile, I have to protect you" He whispered in my ear.

"Yes, but differently than you know." His hands were still working out the differences between us and oddly I was not embarrassed by it. He needed to know this; he needed to know that we were made differently so we could work together.

"Show me how to be different" He said although it sounded like a question.

"Of course" I slipped out of my panties and pulled him into the tub with me.

There was nothing sexual about this. It was just Edward and I moving forward.

….

When I woke the next morning Edward was not in the bed with me, he was dressed and standing at the window. I smiled remembering the conversation in the bathroom last night and then the soft caresses between the bathroom and the time I fell asleep.

He smiled when I woke and sat on the bed next to me.

I sat up and stroked my fingers through his hair for a moment before climbing out of bed and going into the bathroom.

I washed while thinking of the gentle caresses last night. I got dressed while thinking of the gentle caresses last night and I finally made it out of the bathroom without having to sit out for a moment to still my pounding and feverish body.

Edward was where I left him but he was looking at his cage that we had not thrown out yet. The only reason they remained there was because if the guards came snooping we would be caught out if they did not find the cages. They would enquire about the clothing but we decided we could always say it was distraction for us and we didn't need that.

I grabbed his hand and dragged him through the very quiet house, which was strange because Esme is normally awake at this time of the morning. We made it to the bottom of the stairs with enough time to see Esme come out of her room and enter the kitchen whistling a happy tune as she went.

She already had a pot of tea on the go when we made it through the kitchen door; she smiled at us and then pointed in the direction of the table. We sat down and let her carry on. She gave Edward some toast after it popped up and a cup of tea.

"How are you feeling today, Edward?" She asked, I couldn't help but feel that she was stepping back into her DR mode every time she spoke to him. He smiled his crooked smile and then answered her.

"Better, Happy" He smiled my way and I smiled back.

"Bella, can I speak to you for a minute" She did not miss a single beat.

I nodded, kissed Edward on the cheek and left with her.

We went to the games room and as soon as the door was closed she squealed.

"What did you do?" She practically ripped my arms off when she grabbed my hands.

"I let him see what was different about me and him. I went to have a bath and he barged in because he couldn't find me. He asked me to help him understand better and I did, I just used my body to do it" I blushed furiously and tucked my head into my chest.

"That's good Bella, he kept asking how he was different but I never fully understood his question. The fact that he is happy now and responding with a smile just proves that he got the information he needed" She beamed like a child that was given the toy they so desperately wanted.

"Do you think it will back fire" I asked with my head down.

"That's hard to say, he may find it hard to control himself around you now because he knows what's underneath, if you get what I mean" She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me too her.

"I'm proud of you" I took those words and my heart ran with them. She was proud of me, the woman who I looked up to now more than ever was proud of me.

"That means a lot, thank you" I wiped the stray tear and smiled.

"I'm sure your mother will be very proud when she sees the woman you have become" That was it, I bawled. I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

The doorbell rang and shook me from her arms; we looked at each other before making our way to the front door. A different man stood outside with a uniform with _Mail _stitched into the blue fabric. He had tanned skin, black hair and was so muscular he could probably give Emmett a run for his money.

He handed me a parcel and winked before making his way back down the path. Could this be?

I shut the door, went into the kitchen and ripped open the parcel.

_You have caught unwanted attention._

_Tomorrow night an old woman shall be upon your door_

_Let her in. _

_Mum. _

In the box lay a small white blanket with the letters I.M.S written in fine pink thread. My mother was sending someone to help me. I re-read the first line and gasped as my brain finally picked up on what it said.

_You have caught unwanted attention _

Did that mean the guard from the Ace, other people in the town or like my fears, the owner of the Ace?

I raced through the house and banged on all of the bedroom doors, frantically trying to wake up my best friends who were in this scheme with me. They opened their doors, sleepy and disorientated.

"We have been noticed"

That was all it took for each of them to wake up.

….

The next few hours were spent trying to find the right way to explain it to the boys. A guard or someone could come by at any time and declare something not right which would mean an investigation, a trial and the worse thing – the boys being taken from us.

That could not happen!

Rose let me know that while she was having problems trying to keep Emmett from mounting her at night she still had not done anything remotely sexual with him. She informed me that he uses the shower, brushes his teeth, goes to the toilet and gets dressed all on his own now.

Alice let me know that Jasper was getting dressed; using the toilet and showering on his own but would still not do anything unless she commanded him.

We took this information and tried to decide what would be best for the boys.

"Edward, do you remember how you acted when you first arrived here?" I asked him while running my fingers through his hair. He nodded and moaned when my nails scraped a sensitive spot.

"I need you to act like that again until I tell you not too" He sat up at my sentence and looked at me like I had grown a second head.

"We have caught someone's attention and if someone comes here and says something is not as it is supposed to be… you could go back to the Ace" I whispered the last part.

"No, not there, please!" He whimpered before trying to get into my arms.

"If you pretend to act like you did when you got here you won't be taken back, I won't let it happen" I sniffled at the mere thought of having to watch him be taken back into that Arena.

"What do I need to do?" I smiled at him.

….

Three hours later an unexpected person knocked on our door, I opened it with a harsh look on my face and recognised him as one of the Ace officials.

"Good afternoon" I said trying to hide the venom that rebounded in my head.

"I am here for the standard check-up" I wanted to laugh and tell him he was wrong and that I knew exactly why he was here but I didn't. I just smiled and moved to the side allowing the vile creature to step over the boy's safe haven.

Lord, forgive me.

"Where are the boys" He asked while jotting things on the clipboard that was almost level with his face.

"In the living room" I stated and motioned for him to follow me there. When I opened the door I had to gather all of my strength not to go and rip Edward out of that collar. Edward was as I left him, sitting on the floor in that vile piece of cloth with his head bowed to the floor. His collar was back in place on his neck and it made me want to vomit.

"Have you had any problems with your possessions yet?" He asked while checking the boys over. I wanted to rip him in half starting with the things between his legs.

"No, we have been very strict and kept to their training as advised" Rose spat. _Easy girl_

"I see you have managed to keep this one submissive, not hard though as it is in his nature" He tapped Jaspers shoulder expecting him to flinch.

I saw Edward's eyes and hands twitch for a spilt second.

"What was that?" He asked, obviously he noticed.

"He has been doing that since he arrived here, I was wondering if you could tell me." I said innocently trying to divert the conversation somewhere else.

"Must be an involuntary twitch, it has been known to happen" He said with a smug look upon his face.

_Remain calm Bella _

_I would like to twitch my palm across his face – calm down!_

"Is that everything?" Alice asked while looking from her magazine obviously bored with his presence. I knew she just wanted him out of Jaspers presence.

"Where are the cages kept?" he asked while writing something down.

"In the bedrooms, they are not worth enough to sleep in our beds" _Wow that hurt._

"I see, Tinned food diet?" He asked while checking off the boxes.

"Yes"

"Consummation of marriage"

"Complete"

"Any health issues?"

"No"

"Any need for removal?"

"No, we are happy with our husbands"

"Very well, that is all. Good day ladies" He turned and I followed, once the door was closed on him I felt my whole body relax.

I returned to the room to find Esme had reappeared from her space in the small alcove that was not visible in his line of sight.

I watched with wide eyes as Emmett and Edward unbuckled their own collars and threw them to the ground.

I let my eyes close at the sound and right then I knew I would kill for these boys.

I would kill to prove I was right about the fact that these men deserve a life.

"Erm, what was that about Jasper?" Alice whispered shakily.

"I don't know but I think he's naturally submissive. I think he wants or needs you to command him" Jasper nodded his head furiously and Alice bolted from the room.

"There's more" Edward whispered.

"Jasper suffers from-"Edward began.

"Panic attacks" Jasper whispered low as if ashamed.

Just like that the whole room shifted.

Our three beautiful husbands were more scared than we thought, not physically but mentally and emotionally.

The two which cause the most harm.

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><p><strong>So who was expecting that? <strong>

**P.S Brace yourself things are going to get bumpy from the next chapter! Little heads up :) **

**Review and let me know what you think please :P **

**xxx **


	9. The old woman

**What? Chapter nine already? Yes, I know I can't believe it either. **

**Disclaimer: still the same. **

**Things are about to get old,bumpy and a whole lot of other things :)**

**Enjoy:)**

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><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

When Carlisle came through the living room door after his shift at the Ace he instantly knew something was wrong.

"What's happened?" he asked worriedly and instantly went to Esme's side. She patted his hand and shook her head.

"We have caught the attention of the_ Ace_,My mum sent me another note and a few hours ago an Ace official turned up and did a check-up" I said while stroking Edward's hair on the sofa. He looked much more relaxed now that he clothes on and his collar had been thrown back away.

"Where's Alice?" he asked while looking around and finding Jasper on the floor in the same position from this afternoon.

"She ran to her room after the official left. She couldn't handle it when she found out that Jasper is a natural submissive" I said looking at him with a raised brow. Couldn't he have told her sooner?

"Ah, I'll go talk to her" He whispered before beckoning Jasper to his side with his head.

"I think you should Mr" Esme gave him a pointed look that said he was in trouble. I gulped and so did he, he left without another word.

….

Dinner passed without incident, Alice was still in her room with Jasper so I had taken their steak and kidney pie up to them. When Jasper opened the door I found Alice with her nose in a book with many others surrounding her. She looked too involved in the words to realise I was in the room so I gave the tray to Jasper, gave him a warm smile and left.

I'm sure if I sat and thought about it I may have been able to understand what Alice must be feeling, thinking and trying to do. I knew that if I were to find out that my husband- who had acted so dominant when he arrived was actually naturally submissive and needed me to command him I would probably have had a small break down too. Especially since commanding them is something we were trying hard not to do.

Edward ate two portions of the pie and was still licking his lips. I went to the freezer and pulled out some vanilla ice cream that had not been touched since we came here. I checked the date and opened the container.

I hadn't given them any ice cream due to the dairy it contained, I didn't know if it would affect their stomachs but Carlisle said they were better now so dairy could be put into their diets. I was thankful because now I could cook with cheeses. I grabbed two bowls from the cupboard and filled it half way with the creamy goo.

When I put the bowls in front of them, they poked at it with their spoon before edging a little bit onto it and then putting it in their mouth. It was all gone the next time I turned back to them.

I left a note on the side for Alice stating that we had opened the ice cream and that it went down well with Emmett and Edward so maybe Jasper would like some.

….

When night fell we started to settle down, Edward and Emmett were looking out the window as the sky turned dark and the lights outside came on.

We had retired to the living room and were in the middle of playing a game of scrabble when a knock came on the door. Esme and I looked at each for a moment before Carlisle decided that he would be the one to answer it.

"Bella" He called from the front door, I left my seat by Edward's side and carefully stepped around the corner and was shocked to see an old woman was standing at the door with a walking stick and a gasp formed on her lips.

"Let her in" I whispered. Carlisle opened the door and she hurried in at a faster pace than an old woman should be able to move.

"The owner of the Ace suspects" She said while putting her walking stick down by the oak cabinet that stood against one of the light coloured walls. She had grey hair, false teeth and winkles covering her – I assumed once beautiful face. You could see a hint of beauty there but it was withered and worn like all skin when it begins to show its weakness. She removed her green coat and smoothed down the flowered silk dress she wore, it seemed oddly fitting for someone of her age.

While assessing her face my eyes caught a small wisp of brown hair peeking through near her ear. That was not supposed to be there unless she had dyed that section of her grey hair.

"Who are you" I asked shakily, I was nervous because I was not expecting an old woman to turn up until tomorrow night and even then I was worried about the outcome. It's not that I didn't think my mother was sending me those messages and items, it's just… I have been wrong before.

"I think it's best if we close the door, don't you Carlisle?" He stood wide eyed and open mouthed before he nodded and closed the large door behind her. I wanted to smack myself when I realised that I done it again -I had let someone who I didn't know or trust come into the boys home and invade their safe haven.

"I will ask you once more, who are you?" I asked a little bolder than before. This was vital information and I could not risk letting her any further until I found out why she was here and how she knew the owner of the Ace.

"Things are happening sooner than she planned bells but not to worry, our men are on their way" She looked at me and smiled.

"That was not my question, who are you and how do you know my nickname" I asked getting angrier by the second. This woman was pushing every single button I had.

"Darn, I still have this thing on, Don't I?" She asked Carlisle with a slight chuckle. I stood my ground and furrowed my brow, what thing?

One small winkled hand wrapped around her right wrist and she began peeling away what looked like skin. I gagged for a second before a perfectly shaped and young hand was revealed.

The other hand was revealed and as before it was young and very small.

She unzipped the long silk dress and I gasped before looking around me to make sure none of the boys had followed us out here. I didn't want to think about what would happen if a woman was found undressing in a house full of boys that knew nothing of other females.

Her silk dress fell to reveal a pale pink blouse and I could tell from her curves that she was younger than I. The dress continued to fall until a black skirt was revealed along with very pale and skinny legs.

I wondered for a second how this was possible. How could someone peel off something like that and reveal another piece of skin and how if one looks so old can they have the body of one so young. This made no sense but I was thankful for one thing.

She was not naked.

The long fingers found their way into her hair and she began to pull small pins from the hair, each time a pin was removed brown hair would show.

She was wearing a wig.

However her face was still worn and tired looking, almost as if the skin would break with one blow of the wind.

She looked right at me and removed the thin membrane that covered her face, no longer was she an old woman.

She was young and beautiful.

I turned to the side and found my reflection – she looked just like me.

"My name is Nessie, I'm here because mum sent me" Her voice grew different and soft. Her eyes smiled and I found myself drawn to the green pools.

_Mum sent me._

"I'm sorry who sent you?" I said shaking my head hoping she said something other than mum.

"Our mother, Renee Swan" My eyes widened and my legs gave in. I can't be sure but I think someone caught me.

….

"Give her a minute, finding out about a sister can be a little hard on the heart" The voice whispered to someone. I was in the living again which could only mean I fainted.

"Renee can't have another daughter, she's married to Bella's father" Alice whispered harshly.

"Alice, She has been missing since Bella was a baby… of course it's possible" Esme scolded her. I knew what she was saying but I still could not believe it. Renee, my mother was alive and had had another child after me even though she knew I needed her.

She had another child when she already had one waiting for her.

"I was an accident but she will explain it all when she arrives" That made me sit and open my eyes.

"So you're Nessie, my sister but you won't tell me how or when until our mother arrives" I said with an eyebrow raised.

"Mum wants to explain to you herself" She whispered looking down.

I huffed. "Then why is she not here, explaining to me" I spat.

"She asked me to ask you to forgive her and tell you that she will be with us tomorrow" Her arms knotted together to form and barrier in front of her.

_This must also be hard for her Bella._

"We need to talk" I said quietly to her and thankfully our audience left the room. She nodded her head and came to sit on the chair next to me.

"How old are you?" I asked while looking her up and down, she could not have been more than thirteen.

"I just turned fifteen." She looked very young for her age.

"So _mum _just let you come here without her?"

"No, mum sent me here with two of her men. They have already set up some equipment in the house mum has brought" She smiled.

"What are their names?" I wanted to know as much about this as I could right now.

"Jacob and Sam" She smiled when she said the first name.

"And Jacob is?" I asked. It didn't take a genius to work out that she had feelings for this boy.

"He's my… Friend" She blushed. I smiled sarcastically at her and found myself wondering if this boy was good enough for her. She oozed innocence and that boy may tarnish it.

"Okay… So he is my unofficial boyfriend" I smiled when she admitted it too me. I suddenly felt like we had made slight progress. I felt like I had known her longer than the twenty minutes I actually had.

"And why are you not official?" I asked seriously now.

"Jake wanted your approval of him before we took it any further" That made no sense, why would he want my approval? I did not mean anything to them.

"Why?" I suddenly sighed, she could have been happy earlier if this boy had not wanted my opinion.

"Because he knows that you will become very important to me" She whispered lightly and blushed.

Yep, she was my sister.

"Then we must meet" I smiled at her and she smiled back.

After all this time I finally had a _blood_ sister.

….

Nessie and I spoke for a while and I felt like I could never know everything about her. She loved books and planned to go to study when she finished her schooling. She loved to paint and take pictures of the things she never wanted to forget and she adored music.

Our small bubble was interrupted when Edward came in rubbing his eyes and searching for something. He looked at me and then to Nessie before his eyebrow furrowed and he ran to my side. He sat on the floor next to me with his head bowed down.

"Edward don't worry, you do not have to act like that anymore" I put my fingers in his hair and scratched lightly at his scalp. He moaned a little and then turned his head to look at Nessie.

"Hello Edward" She said softly while holding out her hand.

"Hello" he whispered and put his head into my leg.

"Edward this is my sister Nessie" His eyes widened at the statement but then he smiled up at us.

Edward rubbed his eyes, got to his feet and shook her hand. He kissed me on the cheek and whispered a good night before leaving the room.

What the hell was that?

"Mum is going to be so proud of you" Nessie whispered breaking me out of my thoughts. Why would Edward chose now of all times to go to bed on his own?

"Where are you staying tonight?" I asked concerned but distracted at the same time. I wanted her to be safe but I also wanted to speak to Edward before he fell asleep.

"I will be staying with Jacob and Sam. The house is just across the street so I shall be safe walking there." She kissed me on the cheek and then left.

I had just met my sister.

Edward had just gone to bed by himself.

I was meeting my mother who disappeared the night of the attack tomorrow and strangely all I could think about was Nessie and Jacob.

Was he treating her right? How old was he and had he met Renee? Who was Nessie's father and why did she not tell me about him?

I climbed the stairs and thanked the lord when I found Edward still awake on our bed.

"Care to explain?" I hoped he would know what I was talking about.

"I want her to like me…to approve of me" he whispered into his chest.

"I know exactly what you mean" I kissed his forehead and got ready for the roller coaster that would be tomorrow.

…..

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><p><strong>This chapter was shorter because of what is happening in the next and I thought if I overwhelmed you with information and people you may get confused. <strong>

**I have an announcement, I have decided, thanks to loopylou992 to donate an outtake of this story to 'The fandom Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!' The outtake will be in Carlisle's point of view and it shall contain 'The birds and the bee's talk'. Please read the information about it and let me know if you would read it :)  
><strong>

**I have also decided to change the prologue to the first chapter because the fic is now at the point where everything needs to happen. Oh, and chapter 11 is looking to be around 15,000+ words... just saying :) **

**Thanks for sticking with me :)**


	10. Renee

**So, there must be something wrong with me. *CHECKS FOREHEAD* Nope, I feel okay. **

**Disclaimer : Still not mine although this plot is taking me on a wild ride. **

Here's chapter ten, please review with your thoughts.

**Thank you to every single person who reviewed, I was amazed at the response over the last few days and its made me crave them :) It seems reviews make my fingers type... :P**

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><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

When I woke I was beyond nervous. I wanted to know what time my mother would be with me again and why, after all this time, she left. Well, I know now that she didn't leave me but she sure as hell never tried to get back to me.

_That you know of Bella._

It was the truth of course; the cold, hard and horrible truth.

I got out of bed trying not to wake the peaceful sleeping man next to me. After all he had held me last night when I became restless. I had woken from a nightmare about my mother and he had circled his arms around me and stroked my hair. I wondered at first where he could have learnt such an intimate and soothing gesture but then as my mind became clearer I realised that he had obviously picked it up from all of us. He obviously picked it up when seeing us comforting each other in this strange situation.

I liked it, a lot. I liked that he was able to think about the gesture himself and then carry it through. I enjoyed having his arms around me in a protective manner and I loved, most of all, that I could smell his scent. It was wrapped around me like a comfort blanket and even though I knew he could hurt me at any second, I felt safe.

I shook my head and got in the shower; I shaved my legs, armpits and even decided to clean things up a bit down there because although there was no telling that Edward and I would do anything else sexual soon I wanted to be prepared.

I wanted him to find me beautiful.

I had just turned the shower off and was about to get out when I was startled by the door opening and a barely awake Edward coming in. He did not notice me and since the shower was off he obviously thought I would be somewhere else. He scratched his face lightly as he relieved his bladder. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen when he looked up and found my naked body barely three foot away from him.

He yawned, tucked himself back in his sleep wear and lifted his head. I bit my lip as he did a double take and flushed crimson. Even though I was looking down I knew his eyes were on my body. I smiled to myself when I heard him groan and then I felt the soft material of the bath towel on my arm.

He was handing me my bath towel.

I wrapped it around me, lifted my eyes to his and chuckled lightly because he obviously needed the bathroom I kissed his lips softly, winked at him and left. I heard a few mutterings before water began to hit the tiled floor.

I must have been standing outside of my wardrobe wrapped in the towel for ten minutes because Edward came around me and grabbed his own clothes. I wondered what he might think of me standing there dripping on the carpet. He smiled when he was dressed and opened my wardrobe before motioning to the vast amount of clothes that was arranged neatly before me.

It wasn't that I didn't have anything to wear; it was that I couldn't decide what to wear because of all that would be happening today.

What does one wear to meet their mother for the first time in nearly eighteen years?

I finally decided on a nice pair of sturdy black jeans and a silk blue blouse. I left my hair down and it naturally dried into a curl. I smiled at myself in the mirror because I didn't look like a child. I looked like a grown up with a lot of worries. I rubbed my tired eyes and sighed. My mother was coming to see me today and she could take me as I came, tired eyes and all.

….

Edward and I made it downstairs shortly after and were surprised to see that everyone was seated at the kitchen table. Everything from sausages to pancakes sat on the table. I wondered who could have cooked all of this without me knowing and as if she heard me Esme suddenly jumped up and pulled more orange juice from the fridge.

Someone had delivered food when I was asleep.

"Bella, mum told me to go shopping" Nessie stated from a seat at the table. How had I not noticed her?

"Why?"

"Because when her men get here you are going to need all the food you can get" she laughed. So that means mum was bringing more people with her and by the sounds of it they were all greedy and unable to become full.

"Do you know when she will be here?" I whispered.

"Could be right now, could be in an hour… I'm sorry Bella, she didn't say" Nessie informed me.

Although I was sulking I sat down by Edward and ate some of the fresh fruit and pancakes. I would need my strength and energy to make it through today. I knew I was bound to cry today so I made sure I kept topping up my drink so that I was fully hydrated.

I was ready to meet my mother again.

….

The doorbell rang unexpectedly and suddenly the room became a silent, tense place. I felt myself tense and suddenly I wanted to run. I didn't want to meet her because what if she took one look at me and then decided Nessie was better. What if she saw what I had become and decided that I wasn't worth her time?

It would kill me.

Nessie rose from her space on the floor and smiled at me. She offered me her hand and I took it, not because I needed the help but because I needed her support.

"Bella, I know that we don't know each other well but I just want to tell you that I'm glad you're my sister" She wiped a tear away and squeezed my hand gently. For one so young she knew exactly what to say and when to say it.

"I'm glad I'm you're sister too" I said smiling.

It's now or never.

I took the first step towards the door and then another…. Finally after what felt like a lifetime I grasped the metal handle and opened the door.

A woman with long brown hair and fair skin looked at me with watery eyes that reflected everything I felt. Surprise, longing and love.

"My baby" She cried before I was crushed against her soft chest. I felt her tears hit my hair and I felt my breath leaving me but I didn't care because my mother was holding me after all this time. I could smell her sweet perfume and feel her heart pounding furiously under my cheek. She was sobbing, sniffling and crying out with joy.

I felt arms wrap around me from behind and lead us into the foyer, the door was closed but the arms that had circled us never let go. Nessie had trapped me in a bubble of love, my love for them and their love for me. My family held me in the tightest of all hugs and I never wanted them to let me go.

I cried and begged them never to leave me, as everyone does in a moment of joy. Then as if a cold bucket of water was thrown on me, I heard a man's voice.

"Renee, we must act quickly" His voice was deep but held an unbelievable amount of love and affection.

I felt myself being let go, my face was lifted and small thumbs began to wipe away my tears.

"I'm so proud of you sweetie" She continued to cry. I sobbed even more when I finally let myself hear her words.

"Bella listen to me, the owner of the ace already knows I am here. We don't have a lot of time" She said quickly before trying to wipe away all my tears again.

"What?" I questioned.

"I need you to do something for me Bella, I need you to help me" She asked quickly while sighing. I nodded my head and tried to rein in my tears.

"I need you to go to your father's house and take the pack of cards that lies on his desk" I furrowed my brow at the odd task but nodded and reached out to grab my coat. She held my hand all the way to the coach and even then was reluctant to let go of my hand.

"Be as quick as you can" She whispered. She kissed me on the cheek, took a deep breath and then ran back through the door into the main house. I heard her start sobbing orders out to a man named Phil and him responding with calming phrases.

The coach ripped out of the building and sped to my father's house, I had one job to do and right now I couldn't think of anything else other than that pack of cards lying on my father's desk.

Mrs Cope hugged me when I entered and then once again left me too my own devices, I swear I could have kissed that woman. I entered my father's study quieter than I ever had before and felt that every noise in the house was my father coming to catch me.

Luckily the cards were right where they were the last time and I didn't have to look around for them. I picked them up but noticed something was not right with the desk. Normally it was perfectly straight but right now the desk was slanted to one side. I followed the leg of the desk to find that one of the floorboards that it sat on was coming away from the rest. I bend down after tucking the cards into my coat pocket and found the smallest amount of paper peeking out in between the boards. I flicked my nail under the board and found I could easily fit my pinkie finger and lift.

I lifted and gasped at what I found, a large folder marked _Ace _was amongst a small brown bear and list of names. I took the bear and folder and checked the list.

I dropped it when I found Edward, Emmett's and Jaspers names were the first three written. Something told me that whatever I held in my hands was only part of the _Ace_ evidence.

I quickly placed the board back, grabbed the folder and bear and went to leave. My brain must have been playing tricks on me because I swore I head a door open and close in the bookshelf. I took off like the wind and found myself back in my coach faster than I thought possible.

It took three minutes for me to arrive back at my home with the bear, folder and list tucked safely under my arm.

When I entered the room I had to take a sudden step back, before me was not the foyer I had left. Lining each wall were tall metal boxes which were each labelled with a barcode. The strange man that had spoken to my mother earlier was checking them off on a large device in his hands. The screen flashed with each press of his finger.

"Bells, your mother is in the kitchen with Esme" he said with a smile, the exact smile that had appeared on my doorstep last night.

"Your Nessie's father" I gasped. He smiled and then laughed a little.

"You really are your mother's daughter" He laughed again and put the device down on one of the boxes. He came over and grabbed me into a hug.

"I'm Phil" He whispered.

He let go of me and then turned back around to continue pressing the device. I smiled a little to myself, thankful that I had one less thing to ask about and made my way to the kitchen. Inside I heard laughter amongst the sobs. Esme had her best friend back and no matter how much I wanted to leave them alone I knew I couldn't. My mother wanted those cards for a reason and those cards were what she was going to get.

"Mum I have the cards" I stated as I walked in. My mother instantly started bawling again and then I realised what had happened.

I had called her mum for the first time in my life.

"I love you Bella" She whispered.

"I love you too" I said coming around to her side and wrapping my arms around her. "I have the cards but please, I need to know what happened" I said wiping her tears as she had mine. She took a deep breath and then began…

….

"So you are telling me that he had you kidnapped and contained all these years" I shouted at thin air, I was not angry with my mother, no not my mother, the person who ran the _Ace. _

She nodded.

"It wasn't so bad when I realised that the man who kidnapped me was good. At first I thought he was just another man after money but when I received a call from Rose's father stating that he was in fact a good guy and that I should trust him did I finally let myself get attached to him." She blushed.

I looked over to Rose at the other end of the table and then at Alice.

"My father called you?" Rose almost shouted from her position at the table. Renee nodded.

"Rose, Alice your fathers are my very best friends. They told the owner of the Ace about Phil when they overheard him talking about getting rid of me because he didn't want me in the town anymore. Apparently, I was a distraction." She sighed and then flipped another page in the folder over.

"And now you have come back to take him down but you need our help" she nodded again.

"Bella, you need to allow the owner of the _Ace_ to come here today… it needs to happen today" she whispered as she closed the files that lay all over the kitchen table and wrapped her long arms around me. The silk of her red blouse rubbed against my cheek and soaked up my tears.

"I will never be separated from you ever again, I swear Bella" She whispered and stroked my hair. My crying died down to a dull sniffle. I heard male voices sounding outside of the kitchen and was getting worried that one of them would hurt or scare Edward.

"Who are all those men?" I asked worriedly. My mother smiled at me and then smacked her tiny forehead.

"How silly of me" She scolded herself and then opened the door.

"Bella this is Sam, Paul, Jared, Seth, David, Patrick and Jacob. They run the computer systems that have been monitoring the Ace's activity." She pointed to seven large men who all had one of those devices in their hands.

"So you're Jacob" I asked with a quirked brow. He gulped and then nodded his head. He was young, very large but looked like a giant teddy bear.

"You were the one who delivered a package?" I asked. He nodded his head and smiled.

"We shall be having words Jacob" I said with a nod of my head. He looked like he had seen a ghost and then went back to his device.

"Right this is Billy, Jacob's father and James. They are in charge of security while we are here. James is a trained agent and has been working on this case since the Ace started" Renee informed me. Billy stood and took my hand in his, kissing it before letting it drop back down at my side. If this was any indication of how Jacob treats a lady then we were going to have no problems other than the whole sex issue. _I wonder if Carlisle would be opposed to telling them about protection and what not. _

"You are quite the beauty Bella, If only I was younger and didn't have wife" James said in mock disappointment. He had long blonde hair that was tied with a leather band and despite his obvious age he was still in very good shape.

"Yes I shall be sure to tell Victoria that" Renee said seriously, James paled but then laughed when he realised my mother was joking with him.

"Next we have Michael, Tyler, Emily and Leah they are in charge of Transport and disguise." My eyebrows shot up when I found out that these people were to blame for my being fooled by Nessie.

"Well congratulations, Nessie's disguise worked until she took it off" I giggled.

Leah looked familiar to me but I couldn't place it. I had seen her small delicate face before and I would never forget the slight colour difference in her one eyes. Had I seen her around my house when I was younger?

"I know what you're thinking Bella. Yes, I used to come and babysit you while my mother met with your father" Leah said before smiling sadly. It all clicked. The moans from the room above, a teenage girl turning up the volume on the television and trying to distract me anyway she could.

I was suddenly glad that mum had found another man to be with.

"That leaves us with Phi-"She began.

"He will be here in less than twenty minutes" Phil shouted as he ran around the house. I raced back to the kitchen and grabbed the folders and teddy bear from the table, kissed my mother's cheek and went in search of my husband.

I found Edward in the living room watching a game with the boys, as soon as I walked in the door I was attacked by him. I wasn't attacked, the bear was.

"BEAR" he shouted and wrapped his arms around it.

I couldn't wait until he arrived; the owner of the _Ace _was going to get everything he deserved and more.

…..

Ten minutes later the doorbell rang and Carlisle opened it and let him in. Edward, Emmett and Jasper sat in the living room with us in silence so we could hear the cues.

"Is Bella around?" He said, my heart clenched but then fury overtook me. I marched from the living room and took in the man before me.

I took in his brown hair, brown eyes and perfectly expensive suit. I moved my face to the side and saw my reflection; I could pick out our similar features now.

"I'm here Dad" I spat.

"There you are Bella, I was just wondering how everything was going with your Husband" He smiled at me.

"Fine, now you no longer make him fight for his life" I spat.

"Why you little-"He started.

"Hello Charlie" My mother said from behind him.

My father, the man that was supposed to love me stood in front of me and I felt nothing but anger towards him.

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><p>Well done to everyone who guessed Charlie, I am so proud of you :)<p>

But...

Things are never as they seem... Just something to keep in mind.

Review and let me know what you think :)

P.S next chapter is going to be a long one, so make a cup of tea or coffee before attempting to read it :)


	11. Ace

******Hey :)**

**I um... I'm actually scared to post this chapter because it happens to be a) the longest I have ever written b) the chapter where everything happens and c) very unexpected. **

**But see how you get on :) **

**Thanks to loopylou992 for helping me with this chapter, especially when I kept having to take breaks because it was driving me insane. **

**Thank you for your reviews, please do not hesitate to ask questions about the story or me... I will answer. **

**Anyone watch Merlin? BBC VERSION? Well I met Tom Hopper (Sir Percival) and Rupert Young ( Sir Leon) at a comic con in England. They were the cutest, sweetest and most down to earth guys I have ever met. **

**This is important! Please go back and read the AN at the bottom of the last chapter because it will explain what I am doing with the Carlisle pov out- take. Feel free to ask me about it in PM or review and I shall answer. **

**P.S this chapter on word is 11,000 words long. **

**Yeah, I meant it to be that long and to link to Ace. **

**:) **

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><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

"What were you saying dad?" I asked him with my brow raised, my arms crossed over my chest and my heart pounding in my throat.

"Why are you here Renee?" He turned to look at mum, completely avoiding my question.

My mother stood in front of the door in a pair of black jeans and a red blouse, the very blouse that I had cried into not so long ago. On her face was a very tight and mocking expression.

"It was time" my mother said before smirking in my direction. _Does that mean she wants me to carry it on?_

"Yes, it _is_ time" I said with a smile on my lips, I don't think we meant to come across so aggressive but that's how I felt. I wanted my father to suffer the way Edward and the boys had suffered. I wanted him to stand and watch as the men tore down the arena with their bare hands. I wanted him to lose everything – including me.

_You sound just like him Bella. _My mind shouted at me and I was shocked to discover that it was right. I did sound just like my father because I wanted to cause pain on someone else – alright he deserved it but still.

In that second I needed to prove to myself that I was a better person than my father.

"Edward" I called from the hallway. My mother's men were now blocking every exit out of here so I did not need to worry about Charlie escaping before I got what I wanted from him. I heard the door to the living room open and then close before I felt his presence in the room. I was glad that I had not taken my eyes off my father because right he looked like he was ready to murder something.

"Yes Bella" He asked coming to my side. Edward was dressed in black jeans, a white shirt and a pair of Chuck Taylors that Alice had shoved in his face earlier. His face was completely blank of emotion unlike my father who had disbelief and anger written all over his face. I felt the anger rolling off him in waves and coming to stop in front of me, even then it felt like it was trying to go inside and rip me apart.

There was something stopping it from attacking me though, something stronger than his anger was seeping out of me and fighting the anger he sent.

Some emotion I could not identify was fighting for me.

"How dare you speak to her in such a manner" He shouted at Edward. I laced my fingers through Edward's and glared at my father. I wanted to push Edward behind me so that he was out of my father's way but I couldn't.

Edward needed this just as much as I.

"I don't think you're in the position to say that. After all – a man sold to a woman is no longer your concern" I said with a raised brow. My father glared for a second before his face evened out and showed no more emotion.

I was challenging him and he knew it.

"I am your father Bella, you will show me respect" Charlie spat across the room. I couldn't help it, maybe it was shock or my emotions were shot because of today but that comment made me laugh. No, it made me howl with laughter.

I laughed for a long time before I caught everyone staring at me as though I had grown a second head, talons and was about to eat everyone. I felt big, fat tears slide down my cheeks and my stomach muscles contract from the force but it gave me strength. It gave me the strength I needed to see that the man in front of me was not only my father but the very man I had wanted to kill all these weeks.

"You do not understand that word" I spat after I finished. Normally I would have never spoken to someone with such disrespect but like before- he deserved it. My father, the man who brought me into this world ran the Ace and was the reason the man I loved had a horrible past. I could not just look past that no matter no much I wanted too.

"I think that is the other way around" He yelled taking a step closer. Edward tensed by my side and tightened his hold on my fingers. He was about to place me behind his body when I heard Charlie shout "You spoilt little bitch" before coming towards me even faster.

I closed my eyes at the exact time Edward growled.

"BACK OFF" he growled, I opened my eyes and found my father against the wall that was a few feet away from us with Edward's hand wrapped around his throat. Edward's eyes were livid and dangerous and I thanked the lord that I had never made him angry.

"Looks like your plan back fired Charlie" My mother said with a slight amusement as she took in the scene before her.

I heard Charlie try to say something back to my mother but Edward was cutting off his air supply and we needed him alive if we were ever to find out what really happened to those boys and why.

"Let James have him Edward" I said softly. I also needed Edward to be calm before we left the house for it would do no good for Edward to attack someone in town because Charlie had triggered his anger.

"But he was going to hurt you" Edward said through clenched teeth, his hand tightened for a second before I put my hand around his bicep.

"I know but you are better than him, remember you have the choice" I whispered to him, his head shot around and I saw when the words registered in his mind. He had asked me if he would ever have the choice over who lives and who dies at his hands.

"You wanted to be different remember?" I said calmly and put my hand on his and lightly pulled his fingers from around my father's neck.

"Thanks Bells" My father choked before his fist found Edward's jaw.

My eyes widened and I saw red.

I felt my hand wrap around the same piece of flesh Edward had just held.

"_You_ can't protect people from each other" I shouted.

I felt arms wrap around my middle and pull me away from the flesh I wanted to squeeze until it burst. I heard someone screaming and it took a second to realise it was me, that I was screaming all sorts of profanities and names at my father.

"Get him out of my house, get him away from me" I shouted and cried. I tried to struggle out of the person's grip but I couldn't, the arms were a lot bigger than Edward's and the man smelt different but familiar to me. I looked behind my head and saw Emmett was the one who had caught me around the middle to prevent my attack on my father.

I definitely wasn't expecting that.

"Get off me, I want him out of my house" I screamed.

I was handed to Edward but I kicked and screamed at him to let me at my father. He pulled me tighter against his chest and tried in vain not to let me go. I knew he only meant well and was obviously doing it because he saw me in distress but it wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to go up to my father and ask why he did it. I wanted to go up to him and slap him for ever thinking he had the right to play god.

"James, arrest him" My mother stated in panic before coming and stroking my hair which was a hard task since I was still struggling trying to get out of Edward's grip.

"Charlie Swan, You are under arrest for the kidnapping and plotted murder of Renee Swan" James announced as he handcuffed my father's hands behind his back. I heard my father thrash around and his body being slammed back into the wall until I focussed solely on my mother's fingers. She did exactly the same thing to me that I had sat and done to Edward. Was this a common calming method or was it proof I was like her?

"He hurt Edward again" I sobbed when the frustration took over my anger. I wanted him dead and I wanted him dead now! Why did no one understand that? Why did no one get that I wanted my revenge? I let my body slump when I realised that Edward was not going to let me out of his arms.

"I know, He will get what he deserves but you have to be calm Bella" she said while trying to soothe me again. "We cannot do anything while you are in hysterics; you have to think about your husband. Think of Edward" She stroked her finger down my cheek and with a tissue she pulled from her sleeve she wiped my face.

_Be strong Bella. _

_Think of your husband's freedom. _

_Think of the lives lost in the Ace. _

I let the anger dissolve and I slowly returned.

…..

Charlie was handcuffed to a metal chair that the men had brought in from the other house during our preparations of the walk through town. We were going to take Charlie handcuffed to our town hall and demand he be taken in and put on trial- Not that it mattered, we all knew there was something strange about my father and the fact that no one knew what he did for a living would add to the speculation. My mother would be the one to lead the team towards the hall and I would be standing by her side with Edward. Rose, Alice, Esme and the rest of the boys would be next in the line and Charlie would be led by James just behind them. The rest of her team would be in formation lines behind and around us.

I sat in front of my father shaking my head and never looking away from him. How could someone who brought me into the world be so evil?

"You won't get away with this you know" My father said smiling.

"Oh and why not?"

"He's going to kill you" He said smiling. _Bella he is just saying it, don't listen to him._

"Ah, bet you hadn't worked that out yet. I'm disappointed Bella" He tusked before shaking his head.

"And why would he kill me?"

"Because I trained them that way" He said slowly and then laughed. It was darker than I remember and it made me shiver.

I shook my head again and left the seat. On my way to find Edward I passed many of those metal boxes and strange looking computer devices. I didn't look at any of the screens because it was none of my business.

I found Edward in the living room with Bear. He was turning it around in his hands and looking at the thing with a strange emotion on his face.

"Do you want to talk about him" I went to reach my hand out to the bear but Edward pulled it away. He turned his head, saw me and then flushed. He handed me the bear without a second thought after that.

"Is he special to you?" I asked quietly while stroking the bear's dirty fur. It was obvious that the bear was old and had not been washed in many years. There was even an eye missing.

"I recognise him so I think he was mine as a child. I must have lost him when I went to the arena." He whispered and reached out for the bear again.

I swallowed thickly and then sighed.

"I found him under the floor in my father's study; my dad obviously took him the night you were taken" my eyes found the floor as I told him my theory.

"I figured" He whispered back.

"I'll make it right, I will" I kissed his cheek and then left him to find my mum.

While walking past my father I heard him calling Jacob and the rest of the men names. Telling them they would have done well in the ace and asking them if they had ever fought before. I really wanted him to stop talking and by the looks of Jacobs expression so did he but we knew that because he was slipping up we would be able to use the information against him.

My eye caught a piece of black tape hanging off the corner of one of those metal boxes; I really wanted to use it just so that we would be put out of our misery.

"Oh look, if it isn't the daughter who betrayed me" My father spat.

"I didn't betray you. I just want justice" I said quietly, my relationship with my father would now be forever based on my so called betrayal.

"For what Bella" That smirk was back on his face and although it should not have bothered me, it did.

"For them, for mum and for me" I punctuated each one with a sigh.

"Ha, you do not need justice Bella" He said laughing. I shook my head and looked him in the eye.

"You stole my mum from me, that is enough to want Justice"

"You're pissed because your mother left" He said getting angry.

"No, I'm pissed because you paid someone to take her" He paled slightly. I gave my own little smirk to him and walked away.

I'm guessing my father didn't think I knew everything.

…..

I was pulled into the games room by a very tired looking Alice.

"Can I help you?" I laughed lightly when I finally regained my balance.

"I need to talk to you about Jasper" She closed the door behind us and sat down in the seat Esme usually uses. She placed her hands in her lap and waited for me to be seated.

"What is it Alice, what can I help you with?"

"I assume you know Jasper is natural submissive and has panic attacks" She whispered. I nodded.

"When I left the room I went to my bedroom and just sat there looking at the cage and I realised I didn't even know what it meant. I ran because the thought of controlling him was so… I don't even have a word for it. I just know I don't want to. Then Jasper came up with Carlisle and he explained to me what it meant." She took a deep breath and continued.

"Carlisle said that Jasper used to suffer from severe Panic attacks when he was in the arena and it wasn't until they began giving him straight orders that they became less frequent. Carlisle gave me a few books on it and I found out that it's not a choice, people are born like that. Some are born submissive like Jasper and some are born dominant. It's just their way of living and understanding things within their life."

"You have lost me" I said.

"When Jasper came into my room he began saying he was sorry he was made that way. He said that he was bad, I couldn't handle that Bella. He's not bad… there is nothing wrong with him being a natural submissive. It has not changed how I feel about him but it has changed my outlook on him. I know now that I must change the way I provide and care for him. If giving him demands helps him to live better and to help our relationship to grow then that is what I will do." She smiled.

There was something nagging at me though, something I had been wondering for a while now.

"If he is a natural submissive, why did he try to mount you when he arrived?"

"That again is something I was confused about so I asked him. I asked Jasper to tell me and you know what he said…He said because they told him it would make me happy" She swallowed harshly and took a sharp intake of breath.

"They told him one way to make me happy was to mount me and because of Jasper's natural makeup and his want to please me he did it" A tear slid down her face and fell onto her soft cotton yellow t-shirt. I went to her side instantly.

"Alice, Jasper loves you. I can tell. Maybe you should speak to Esme about it, she might be able to give you a better understanding and some advice" I hugged her to me.

She nodded her head.

"I'm glad you confided in me. You know I'm always here for you, right?" she nodded again and I left her to her thoughts.

….

On the way out of the room I caught someone running up the stairs. I walked around the stairs to find my mother tapping her chin and James looking at the handcuffs with a very critical eye.

"How are we going to attach a chain to him?" James asked my mother.

I almost laughed at the irony. My father's eyes were wide and shooting daggers at my mother and then shooting them at James.

Tiny feet came down the stairs again and I heard the clinking of metal and someone laughing lightly. I looked up to find Rosalie carrying Emmett's collar and chain in her hands. I raised my brows at her and she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Here, He deserves some of his own medicine." She walked straight up to my father and strapped the collar around his neck without taking her eyes away from his once.

"What are you doing, you have known me your entire life" He whispered to her.

"That may be true" She said back without emotion. "But what you have done is wrong" She took a step back and handed the chain to James.

My mother grabbed her into a hug and then let her go to Emmett.

…

"Now, you must all keep in this formation. Once we get onto the road I want all to shout as loud as you can. We need all of the public to gather with us" My mother ordered. My father was standing in the middle of them with James tugging on a chain that was wrapped around his neck; every time he pulled Rose let out a little satisfied sigh. Rose had finally had her revenge.

I stood at the front of the line with my mother and Edward. Rose and Alice stood directly behind us with Emmett and Jasper. Jasper had his eyes on the floor and Alice was telling him to be calm. I knew now that Alice had finally come to terms with Jasper's unique situation. While lying in bed with Edward last night I could not help but wonder what the guards at the Ace must have thought when they found out he was a natural submissive.

Would they have been pleased that he would be so easy to train or confused as to why he would do so willingly.

My mother and I smiled before Jacob opened the door to the outside world and we marched down the steps ready to fight for justice.

….

The first five minutes of the walk were used to determine how well the formation worked, we were still about two minutes away from the town but up ahead we could see the baker's house and a few little shops that signalled the start of the long strip leading to the town hall.

The two minutes gained us some valuable breathing time before we started shouting out our protests.

"End of the Ace" My mother shouted first, it triggered a chain reaction and soon everyone was shouting. People were coming out of their homes dressed in their work clothes, finest wear and even a few in their sleep wear. Others were hiding their daughters behind their backs and trying to make sense of what was happening.

I knew what they were all worried about because nothing like this had ever happened before and they were scared of it. Normally anything to do with the Ace was over written and swept under the carpet.

But here we were walking down the street shouting and screaming about the Ace and no one was stopping us.

When we reached the town hall we had gained a following… Many women had begun to follow us despite their fathers shouting at them to come back inside and stay away from the rebels.

That was how we were seen by them, rebels and disturbers of the peace. For they believed the Ace was a form of good, a way of protecting their loved ones no matter the cost.

….

The large off white building stood at the very end of the strip. The windows were old and had lead triangles across them. On either side of the entrance stood a large statue that had placed there after the Ace had been built. The men looked to be wearing expensive stone suits and each held a list in one hand and a collar in the other.

I had to look away, but I knew deep down in my soul that I would let the boys rip those statues apart with their bare hands!

"What is the meaning of this?" Aro – a slimy looking old man with grey hair and false teeth demanded as he stood on the tall steps outside the town hall surrounded by the others who worked there.

"Hello Aro, it seems that things have fallen apart without me" My mother said sarcastically. I wondered for a moment if my mum was truly crazy because no one had ever spoken to Aro like that before. You don't speak to the man with power with disrespect.

"I don't know what you mean" My mother scoffed at his obvious stupidity.

"We want a trial" My mother stated as though it explained everything.

"Oh really, and who would be questioned" He said with a look that said he was enjoying this display.

"Charlie Swan" I don't know where my voice came from all I know is that I was glad it had not failed me.

"And why would you want the court to question your own father Miss Swan?" He said with a slight curl of his lip. He was hiding something from me and I would be quick to find out what. Edward squeezed my hand and tried to tug on it but I ignored him.

"Because he owns and runs the _Ace_" I smiled when his face fell at those words.

"And why dear girl do you believe such nonsense" He asked with a shake of his head. Edward tried to tug on my hand again, I ignored him a second time.

"Why wouldn't I believe solid facts" I questioned because he was really starting to annoy me. I wanted to get inside and question my father already but he was making it difficult.

"Fine, bring him inside but when he is proven innocent your punishment will be severe" He spat before turning.

"When he is proven guilty, your embarrassment will be the same" I spat back. I knew at any moment I could be killed but right now it was either I fought or I just sat down and took whatever was handed to me, like I always had.

"So disrespectful" He sneered before slinging the doors to the hall wide enough for all of our team to go through.

Looks like I followed in my mother's footsteps after all.

….

The inside of the hall was covered in vanished woods, coffee stations and very expensive and valuable paintings. The one that caught my eye was hanging above the receptionist desk and resembled the_ Ace. _The Arena was painted in rich materials to make it look like more expensive and fancy that it really was and of course the artist had made it so the sun was shining right onto it making it seem that god was praising it.

"When the ace is gone, that painting will be burnt" I whispered to my mother who nodded while walking. Edward tugged on my hand again and this time I met his eyes while stopping still, they were full of worry and fear. I stroked my hands over his face lightly and placed a small kiss on his lips.

"You have nothing to fear, I will not let anything happen to you" I put my forehead against his and looked deep in his eyes.

"I do not fear for me, I fear for you" I smiled a little because I couldn't help it but then furrowed my brow.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"That man who threatened you runs the Ace too" He whispered back in my ear and my mouth dropped open and my eyes widened. I pulled back to look at his eyes and saw he was reliving a violent memory. His eyes were going back and forth and it looked as though he was beginning to panic.

"Ssh, I'm right here" I pulled his head into my shoulder and stroked his hair.

"When you are quite finished Miss Swan, I believe you wanted to question your father" Aro spat before motioning towards a door that led to a courtroom. It was large enough to fit all of the team and many of the people who followed us as we walked down the streets.

I gave Edward a small kiss and then put his hand in Alice's.

I walked through the double oak doors and into the panel wood room with everyone following behind me. Aro took his seat on the vanished high podium and picked up his glasses. He smirked a little in my father's direction and then stood.

A door opened to the left of him and out came eleven court members; they took their seats on a raised podium at the side of the room. My mother had now come to my side and was grasping my hand tightly. Esme, Carlisle and the others were sitting just behind me waiting with baited breath for the trial to start.

"Miss Swan you have made some very strong accusation's today so please step forward and tell the court what you have called them out for" He spat down at me.

My mother went to step in for me but I knew I had to do this on my own. I patted her hand and motioned for her to sit back down.

"I address the court because my Father, Charlie Swan needs to be questioned about his place as owner and leader of the Ace" I told them strongly. They began to whisper amongst themselves before Aro cleared his throat in obvious distaste and impatience.

_Don't worry Aro, I'll get to you later._

"Please provide the court with evidence" A court member said in a rather bored tone.

Phil and Sam walked to the front of the podium and opened three of the metal containers that had been stocked in my hallway. _Who brought those along? _I sat down_. They have this Bella. _

"What is all of this" A court member asked as he picked up a piece of paper with numbers on it.

"It is a code used to hack into the Ace's secure- well not anymore- database" Sam smiled like he was in his element.

"Arrest him" Someone shouted.

"I don't think so. I gained permission to hack into the Data base by the very man who coded and designed it" Sam grinned sarcastically.

"And who would that be?"

"David Hale" Sam shot a look in Rose's direction only to find her smirking at Aro. There was nothing he could do.

"Anything else?" Aro asked through clenched teeth.

He was getting frustrated, I could tell.

"Here is a list of all the phone calls made to one Phil Dwyer about the removal and killing of one Renee Swan" Phil clenched his teeth together.

"Phil who?" A court member said from behind as he pushed his ear closer to Phil.

"Me, I was hired by a Mr Charlie Swan to kidnap and kill Renee Swan on the 20th of November 2000" Phil swallowed nervously.

"I am an agent for the secret service and heard about a plot to start up something called Ace, I have been monitoring the activity ever since." _What the _

He couldn't have stopped this, I don't know eighteen years ago! Suddenly I was very angry with him.

"Any other EVIDENCE" Aro shouted quickly, he was looking at his fat watch and tapping nervously on the desk.

"Here is a folder that contains every single man who has been taken into the Ace, each with their own files. Each file is signed by a C.S" Phil rattled on for a moment before I remembered the evidence that was currently lying in my pocket forgotten.

"Anything else"

"A list of names from the children's home that was broken into the night after the rebellion" He handed the courts the small piece of paper and they all looked at it before nodding their heads.

"Charlie Swan, You may have your say" Aro said smiling.

"I have absolutely no idea how anyone got this stuff because it does not exist. I do not run or own the Ace, I merely used the Ace to provide a protector for my daughter like everyone else" He stated.

"This has been forged; I work for a large investment company outside of the town. I may have invested in the Ace because I was buying a man to protect my daughter. Although truth is she needs to be protected from her bloody meddling and insane mother" He spat across at Renee.

"I found the folder you have just looked through, the list and a bear that used to belong to my husband under a floorboard in my father's office. Along with these" I pulled the playing cards from my pocket and opened them.

"Hearts two, A Michaels, There is a line crossed through it." I threw that one on the table.

"That's my husband. He has a small tattoo of a hearts two card on his arm" a small, young woman called from the back.

"Spades seven, D Jones, A line crossed through it"

"That is my husband" Another woman stood.

"Diamonds nine, P Franks, A line crossed through it"

"That is my husband" An older woman stood.

"Spades three, F Parker, A line crossed though"

Another woman stood.

I kept going and going all the way through the cards until I came upon his.

"Ace of Spades, E Mason, A line- Bella written underneath" Edward stood and extended his forearm so that I could place the card next to his.

"Ace of Hearts, E McCarthy, Rose written underneath" Emmett stood.

"Ace of diamonds, J Whitlock, Alice written underneath" Jasper stood.

"Do you need any other evidence Sir, or shall I just finish" I said with a lump in my throat.

Aro looked pale and sickly. We had done it.

"You are wrong" He stated.

"You didn't let me finish, of course my father could never handle such a large task on his own. My father needed someone with power, someone who could bend the law and make it so that if ever there was rebellion people could be simply brushed under the carpet" I walked up to Aro's desk.

"I want you do something for me, Aro. If you do then I will end this right now and take whatever punishment. I shall make everyone leave" I whispered.

He bent over the high podium, saw my serious face and then came down to my level.

"Aro, I want you to picture Jane – Picture your daughter" He closed his eyes for a second and I heard people moving but I put my hand up to stop them.

"Can you see her" I asked, Esme came over and handed me the sheet of paper she had jotted notes down onto. This would be my guide for now.

"Yes" He whispered.

"I want you to picture her face when you take her to the Ace, Imagine a man standing in a loin cloth, bloodied and animalistic" His eyes shifted a little before he nodded.

"I want you to look at Jane, the shocked expression on her face" I could tell when his imagination took him there because his eyebrows tightened.

"Picture her getting married to that man, Picture her being thrown around and almost mounted" he hands balled into fists.

"Now I want you to picture her happy, smiling on her wedding day with flowers in her hair and a man she loves pouring everything into his expression. I want you to picture her being loved and then picture her with your grandchild." I whispered in his ear.

He smiled.

"Now picture her covered in blood, dead by the man you brought for her" I said quickly.

He screamed.

"Arrest her" He shouted while tears fell down his cheeks. Edward and everyone jumped forward but I stopped them with my plea.

"No, I said I would take it. Look after him Esme please" I sobbed as guards began to grab my arms.

"No, I love you Bella" Edward yelled over the loud sounds of screaming.

"I know, you should already know how I feel about you" I smiled my last and then was taken through the very door the courts came through and everything disappeared when the door closed.

…..

A little while later a man dressed in white came to collect me. He had a mask on his face but I knew who it was.

Jacob

"Where am I going?" I whispered.

"Out, Renee has taken everyone to the safe house she had built in the woods. Quickly" I tripped over my own feet as he dragged me through the hallways and out the other side.

When my feet hit the ground we ran straight for the woods, we heard shots being fired and people shouting about the rebellion.

My rebellion against everything I once knew.

A bullet flew through the trees and missed my head by a small fraction. We ran like the wind, dodging bullets and smacking small branches out of the way.

"Who knew I was going to do it?" I asked while panting.

"Your mother" He laughed without even breaking his speed.

After what felt like three hours of running we came upon a clearing in the middle of nowhere, a large bush stood at the other side. Jacob grabbed my hand and literally ran full speed ahead towards it. He pulled something from his pocket, clicked it once and an engine started.

"Oh she's good" I laughed.

His laugh was full of innocence and charm that it made me wonder how old he really was.

We managed to get inside the large jeep without any bullet holes in our bodies. He threw the green contraption into drive and flew out of there and into the trees.

….

I felt like there should have been an orchestra playing a very quick tune for us as we made our escape. I kept looking back behind us but it seemed no one was following us. The back of the truck had a rotator that kept spinning the ground up behind us.

"What is that for?" I asked Jacob while being thrown around the truck bed.

"It covers our tracks so that if they come looking – which they will, the ground would have settled in a new form making it hard for them to find the tire tracks" He smiled and threw the truck quickly around another tree.

"Clever" I whistled.

"Alice's dad isn't a genius for nothing" he laughed.

"How long till we reach the house?" I asked, still looking behind me.

"At least twenty minutes"

"Good, now, what are your intentions with my baby sister?" He gulped and lost control of the truck for just a second before gaining control.

"I intend to be there for her" he said simply.

"That's it? No becoming her boyfriend and such" I smirked as his face went a little paler.

"Well… I wanted to talk to you about it first" His cheeks flushed but his eyes remained on the ground in front of us.

"How old are you anyway?"

"16, I'm just large for my age" He chuckled to himself.

"Right, Well I suppose I should tell you that although I have just found out about her I will not hesitate to remove a part of your body if you hurt her." I raised my brows at him and made a chopping motion over my throat and although he was keeping his eyes in front, I know he saw it.

"I understand" He stuttered.

"So I take it you know about the birds and bee's then?" He swerved the truck again but righted it quickly.

"Well... I… erm…Yes" He said after a long time.

"I'm just checking because although I know you won't hurt her that way… I am also familiar with those kinds of feelings – granted not before Edward but now I understand" I finished, secretly satisfied that I had made him uncomfortable.

"I won't pressure her, I love her too much to ever do anything like that" I nodded and punched his shoulder lightly.

"See to it that you don't" and the tension was broken.

"So how is Edward doing? I heard he was the most violent one in the Ace" Jacob asked as we turned onto a small path leading somewhere.

"He is doing better, He hasn't hurt me yet but you never know. Something is not right Jacob and I know that I must be prepared to fight it" My eyes went wide as I realised I had just willingly told Jacob my worries. A boy who I didn't know had somehow made me spill my guts and worst fears.

"And fight it, you shall" He said in a very strange voice that made me laugh.

I could tell that Jacob really was just an innocent boy in love.

….

The house was two stories and was made of tree trunks. To the outside world it would have looked like one of those logging sites that dotted the forest. Jacob smirked and pulled up at the front.

I jumped from the truck bed only to find myself almost knocked over by a very small figure. My mother wrapped her arms around my waist and was muttering something.

"Mum, calm down. I'm fine" I pulled at her arms but she would not release me.

After a few minutes of standing there completely immobile she finally let go and looked up at me.

"It's a good job I have watched you all these years Bella, otherwise I would have never known what you were going to do" I gaped at her. She had been watching me? She knew what I went through.

"You watched….m... me?" I stuttered.

"Of course, I missed you so much." She pulled me into a large hug and then grasped my shoulders and pushed me back.

"Oh, Edward is… well" I furrowed my brow but she offered no other explanation, she just grabbed my hand and walked on into the large wood covered house. Inside were many desks that had large and small devices on them. All of the team were in their groups and were assessing all of the evidence and data they had. The walls were covered in panelling and had a thick, soft green carpet running throughout the entire house. Of the living room lay four doors, I assumed they either led to the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom. The house was warm thanks to a fire that was softy burning at the side of the living room.

I really liked the house but before I could explore I needed to find Edward. I needed to explain my actions and tell him that I loved him again.

"Where's Edward?" I asked my mother impatiently.

"He's in your room. He's very… angry" She said before shaking her head and smiling a little. I nodded and then left my mother's side to find him.

As I passed the kitchen I could smell freshly made bread and chicken, my mouth watered and my stomach rumbled but I knew I had to find Edward before I could eat.

I made my way through the house looking at all of the devices that lay around, on each screen seemed to be a small panel of boxes. Each box showed something different and they looked to be showing somewhere else. Some were of men fighting, others were of men sitting or pacing.

"They are security cameras. What you see in front of you is what is happening inside the Ace as we speak." Billy said while expanding one of the squares. I nodded my head but turned away because I could not watch this when I knew Edward had been through it.

"Your room is just ahead of you Bella" He smiled at me obviously knowing what I was looking for.

I found the room easily enough and could hear pacing footsteps from inside. I opened the oak door and instantly wanted to shut it again. Edward's head snapped around to me and his gaze almost killed me. His eyes were darker and his head was cocked to one side. His gaze hardened further when he saw me and his hands clenched at his sides.

"You have made me angry Bella. Go away" He sneered before turning around again.

I dropped my eyes to the floor and took a step into the room.

"Edward, please just…" I took another step but didn't get any further.

"You have made me angry Bella… Get out NOW"

"No… Just listen" I let go of the door and let it swing back closed.

He stalked towards me and I took a step back due to the murderous glare on his face. I felt the wood of the door on my back and started to panic, this was what he wanted me to avoid.

"Do you understand what I am capable of Bella?" He sneered before dropping his head into the space between my neck and shoulder. I felt his lips purse just for a moment before he growled low.

"You wouldn't hurt me" I whispered.

"Yes I will" His fist came close to my head as he said that. I was trapped by his body and now by his fist.

"You know, I never thought I could be so angry again… But here we are" His other fist came up and smashed into the wood on the other side of my head.

"Stop" I cried, I was beyond terrified now. This is what I feared the most, I knew that I would make him angry one day and I knew that I would not be strong enough to handle it.

And I was right, I was here moaning like a child because I was scared.

I was scared of my husband and what he could do to me right at this very moment. I had never been scared of him before, not when I met him or at any point in our relationship.

But right now, I was scared… terrified even that I would not be making it out of this room alive.

"You have a choice, Remember" I tried to say but you could hear the terror in my voice.

"My choice is to teach you a lesson" He moved his hand and grasped the hair at the nape of my neck. I winced and struggled but he was holding tight.

"Stop, Edward… Please" I moaned with tears falling from my eyes. It hurt so much and I was in a state of shock, I struggled again only to feel a hand on my chin… Grasping and squeezing painfully. I knew that by tomorrow I would have a bruise that resembled his fingers on my face.

"Stop it…" I whimpered.

He growled again and brought his other hand into my hair. He pulled harshly which made my head hit the wall. He pulled the other side and again I hit the wall.

"Edward…. Stop it you are hurting me" I choked on my tears and my vision blurred.

My head felt fuzzy and I knew that one more blow and I would be unconscious.

That didn't stop him…My plea's didn't stop him and right there I believed my father when he said that Edward would kill me one day.

He had warned me before I came into the room, he warned me to stay away from him but I was too stubborn.

I felt one more blow and then I saw nothing, I felt nothing… except darkness.

…..

I woke to a man crying.

I was in a bed that was just a little bit harder than the one at my house, I was still in all of my clothes but my shoes had been removed. My head was aching and it felt like my jaw had grown two sizes.

I opened my mouth and groaned when pain flooded my senses.

Edward stopped crying.

I opened my eyes and found bear staring back at me, I was curled on up on the right side of the bed and had an icepack on a tray near me. My mother sat in a chair with her head resting on the mattress.

My mother woke as I groaned again and she wiped her red eyes with a tissue in her palm.

"Oh Bella, why do you have no regard for your own safety?" She sighed. I sat up confused as to why I was here in my bed without Edward.

As my eyes adjusted to the light I saw a sight which would be forever etched into my memory.

Edward was back in a cage.

I leaped from the bed, only pausing once to get my balance and then proceeded towards the metal cage I had tried to get rid of.

My mother caught me around the waist and stopped me. I felt a small amount of hatred towards my mother then.

"No, Bella." She held me tight in her grasp and no matter what I tried I could not move or tear my eyes away from it.

_Edward was back in a cage. _

_Nothing has changed. _

_No, he needs to be out of there._

_He needs to be free._

"You let me go this instant or I will never speak to you again" I spat at my mother; I needed to get Edward out of that cage before he reverted back to his old ways.

Before he became who he used to be.

"He's dangerous Bella" _Only to you._ I wanted to say, he said he would try not to hurt me.

"He will be if you don't let go" I whimpered… I tried to hold in my tears but they came anyway, they overflowed and fell like little daggers cutting me open on the way down. I needed to get to him.

My mother felt my body start to shake and of course it made he hold me tighter, didn't she realise that I was only shaking because the man I loved was about to revert back to his old self because of her over protectiveness.

"I cannot risk you getting hurt" I tried to fight her hold but she was not relenting.

"I have been hurt enough and so… has… he" I shouted and managed to duck under her arm that was wrapped around my chest. Due to the amount of time I had spent in the bed and the fuzziness in my brain, I stumbled a few times but managed to grab onto the cage.

I heard people running through the house and calling my mother's name.

When they ran through the door it was too late. I was already in the cage with him and had the door in a vice grip. We were squashed together in a small cage and somehow I found it to be comfortable. He was here with me and I was okay.

"Get her out of there, he isn't stable" My mother demanded while stamping her foot.

I waited until they had all grabbed a small section of the handle until I made my move, I waited and waited. As soon as I felt a small tug on the metal door I let go and watched with wide eyes as they all fell over each other from the unexpected move.

I felt arms pull me further back into the cage and then lips were on mine. Hands were caressing every inch of my skin and I never wanted anyone to interfere.

I kissed back with fever and climbed into Edward's lap. His hands found my thighs and rubbed them lightly; they then moved to my waist and hip and he slowly began to rock me back and forth. I felt his need for me right where my ache was for him.

I heard people trying to make light of the situation but I couldn't care, I was in a trance. He was angry and I was upset, we had to make this right even if it meant giving myself to him in the only way he knew, then so be it.

I felt the fingers on his left hand work their way up my chest and around the material of my dress, he passed my right breast and went straight for my neck holding me in place. His other hand had disappeared under my dress and was slowly making its way to the place I ached for him.

I heard footsteps as people left the room, I heard my mother's tears but I focussed on Edwards moan as my hands tugged on his hair.

"Not here" He whispered as his mouth dropped to my neck. Huh?

He pushed me away from his him slightly so that I understood. I then remembered we were still sitting in the metre high but not very long cage. I giggled slightly but then removed myself from his person and got out of the offending contraption.

As soon as he was at full height, I jumped him.

Anger, frustration and pain were poured into every kiss and caress. Our clothes were ripped and thrown away from our heated bodies and out limbs seemed to tangle in a lovers dance.

It was a sensory overload and exactly what we needed.

I needed to show him that I was still here and he needed to show me that he hated what I had done, what I had made him feel.

I was beyond aroused and actually very frustrated; I wanted him to love me now, not in a few moments time. Edward began to shift us back and at first I thought he was going to drop me on the bed and flip me over but he didn't.

He sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped my legs around his waist. I felt him rub against me and it was perfect, tantalising and frustrating. I lifted my hips, never once breaking our kiss and sank onto him.

Joining us in a way I thought might not happen for a while.

I winced as he filled me but soon relaxed when his breathing increased and his mouth opened around mine.

I heard once that everyone is part of a puzzle; the only way you connect is by finding the right person who fits with you, someone who fits your mind, body and soul; someone who latches on and stays there because they have found you.

And you remain with them because you know you are connected on a deeper level then just physically. You remain with them because you know you are part of their puzzle too.

Edward was my puzzle piece, designed solely to fit in the spaces carved out of me by some unknown maker.

I felt something stir in my belly and all of my muscles tightened. I had never experienced anything like this before, nothing so perfect that it made me ache for it to be complete.

All of sudden I felt it, a burst of pleasure that ran through every single one of my cells and then a large number of said cells calling to him, calling to my puzzle piece.

My body went slack and I found myself coming back into focus. I felt Edward's hair on my chest and his sweat formed a small slick coating over my flesh, I felt a liquid substance leave me and I sighed when I realised it was over for now.

We were finished for this time.

I opened my eyes and found Edward staring back at me; he smiled and tightened his grip on me.

"I remembered the other way" He whispered.

My smile could have broken my bruised jaw.

…

After we were showered and dressed- which took a while we went to find everyone. I knew that it was going to be very awkward and tense because I had ignored them all to take care of Edward but it was what needed to be done.

He was calm and back to himself now and although we would need to talk about what had happened later I did not regret giving Edward the comfort he obviously needed.

I made my way through the house with Edward's hand closed tightly in mine; we were in this together just as we always had been. I opened the kitchen door and found that everyone was in a line waiting by the cooker; Esme was standing at the cooker piling food onto each person's plate. It was dinner time and I was starving.

They all stopped and turned at our entrance.

"Who put Edward in the cage?" My eyes scanned everyone. No one moved or said anything.

"Who…" I asked Edward.

He sighed and pointed in the direction of my mother.

"He was unstable Bella; we thought it would be better if he was…." I cut her off.

"No, do you realise that the sole reason I left the cage was because I didn't want Edward near it. Did it ever occur to you that I hate that fucking cage and what it stands for? I never want to see him in a confined space ever again. I don't want him to revert back to his old self because it's not who he is inside. You crossed the line when you did that. The whole point of this is to bring down the ace and all that is involved… Unless you have other motives" I said the last part quietly.

"How could you say such a thing?" she yelled getting to her feet.

"Because I don't know you, I wish it wasn't true and I want to kill Charlie for it but that's what it boils down too. I trusted you and you betrayed me by putting my husband back in the place I never wanted him to go"

"I didn't mean to Bella. I just got you back and then I find you unconscious on the floor with Edward a few feet away just staring at you. I was scared that I was going to lose you again so I did the only thing I could. I tried to keep him away from you until he calmed down and was stable again"

"I appreciate it but don't ever… put him back in there" I whimpered.

"I'm sorry Bella." She whispered as she sat down frowning.

"I'm sorry too mum" I knew I had upset her and I wished to never do it again.

Maybe this meant that I needed to get to know my mother better, after all I just proved I did not know her.

I made a mental note to speak to her about it later or tomorrow.

We got a plate and joined the queue but after a few minutes everyone in the room was still staring at Edward and I.

"Look, I'm sorry you witnessed what happened in the cage but it was what we needed. Please try to understand" I said as I gathered up my plate from Esme and left the room with Edward.

…..

Nessie found me an hour later and hugged me tight. We sat on my bed and stayed that way until she broke the silence.

"I spoke to Jacob by the way" I told her.

"And?" She asked nervously… should I tell her about threatening him?

"I told him if he ever hurt you I would kill him. Nessie you are my sister, I will always look out for you" I kissed the top of her head and pulled back slightly to see tears on her cheeks.

"Did he scare you? You know when he was angry?" She asked.

"Yes, more so than ever before…. But I love him Nessie and we will work through it" I kissed the top of her head again.

A door smacked on the wall.

I looked around the pale wood room and found Edward staring at me from the doorway.

"I…" He started before shaking his head and leaving.

"Do you think he heard that?" I asked worriedly, I hastily put my chuck Taylors back on and stood.

"I think so"

"Shit"

I opened the bedroom door and watched in fascination as many of the teams just pointed in the direction of the garden without even looking up from their devices.

When I found him in the large garden full of flowers he was tugging at his hair and making strange growls at himself.

"Edward… Look, I-"He looked up and scrambled away from me.

"No, I can't… I'm sorry" He fisted his hand back into his hair and went back to mumbling.

_Time for different approach_

"Edward, do you think if I was so scared of you I would climb into your cage and let you make love to me?" I asked while sitting beside him on the soft grass.

"I..." He shook his head.

"Exactly, you were angry because you almost lost me and I was scared you had gone back to your old self. Edward, I love you. I will not let one little slip of control stop me from helping you. I knew that it could happen and I know you are working on it with Esme. Yes, I was scared of you… But I love you more. We will work through it and even if you cannot understand it now, one day you will know why I have forgiven you so quickly" I placed my hand on his back and rubbed in small circles.

"You are so beautiful Bella, Inside and out" He whispered.

"You are more than what they made you Edward. I promise" I said while kissing his slightly hairy cheek.

"I don't deserve your love"

"You have it anyway" I stated before kissing him lightly on the lips and then going back into the house.

…..

I walked towards James and sat down in the available seat next to him. He was looking at charts and turning his head this way and that obviously trying to find something that was only available to someone who was looking properly.

"What are you looking for?" I asked which made him jump next to me.

"Clues, patterns…anything" He laughed when his heart returned to normal.

"What is this chart?"

"This chart shows the men's progress at certain times in their life, I'm trying to find out when they show the most potential because then I may be able to find out who will be sold next" I nodded along with it without having a clue what he was actually saying.

"You know, you have three men who have been in the Ace here… They may be able to help" I whispered lightly.

"I didn't want to bring up any bad memories or force them when they were not ready" I smiled at his compassion.

"They will never be ready unless we help them overcome it" I pushed the seat away and went to the living room. I grabbed Edward's hand and motioned for Em of them to follow.

"Boys, we need your help. I need you to answer a few questions and then you can go back to what you were doing…. Is this okay?" I asked when they were seated in front of James's desk.

I could have done with Esme's approval right now but she was helping Alice and Jasper.

They nodded their heads.

"Can you tell me what age you started to get better and showed more potential?" They all nodded their heads and sat a little straighter.

"When our bodies started to change" Emmett stated. Edward nodded

"Puberty?" James asked.

"I just remember getting strange urges to do things, getting angry and growing… a lot!" Edward laughed at his own memory.

"I just grew and it gave me the advantage" Emmett nodded along with Edward.

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?" James almost yelled while smacking himself on the forehead.

"So from puberty until now" he looked at his charts and smiled when he found the pattern.

"Oh Bella, what would we do without you" He grabbed me until a hug and I laughed until Edward frowned.

I pulled out from the hug blushing furiously.

…..

"Bella, do you mind if we talk about today?" Esme asked me. I shook my head and followed her to my bedroom.

Since we were no longer in my house she decided to conduct sessions in the person's bedroom so they would be more at ease with her. This I understood because one feels safe in their own personal space.

"I assume today's little show of affection was not planned?" she asked seriously. I blushed and shook my head.

"I just needed…"

"Comfort, reassurance… love?" she finished for me.

"Yeah, I just couldn't help it. I needed him to know that I don't hate him" I whispered. She was making me realise things I never thought would be part of it.

"And sex was the way to do that" She said while putting down her notebook. Oh, I would love to look in that.

"I just… He had hurt me physically so I guess it made sense to me "She nodded.

"And why is that?"

"I needed him to know that I was still there, that I hadn't left even when he thought he had lost me"

"So you needed to reassure him and yourself that you were together" I nodded.

"You needed him to trust you again" I hadn't thought of that, but yes, that made perfect sense. I had broken his trust when I chose to do something he disagreed of, something that clearly made him angry and upset because he loved me.

Apart from the others in the house I was the only one he could trust, he probably thinks that this is too good to be true and that someone is going to come swooping in and take me from him, take him back to the ace and kill me.

He had told me this today when he had said about fearing for me because of Aro and I still played into Aro's hand and put my life in danger. I could have been killed if not for my mother's wit and protective nature, if not for Jacob coming to rescue me. I could have been placed on the podium and made to suffer for my rebellion and then killed for wanting something so many people should have been fighting for.

I could have died and then where would that have left Edward? It would have meant he would have been taken back to the Ace and re-trained and sold. He would have been beaten for going against his training and even worse, if he refused, he would have been killed by my father and Aro for trying to be something they did not approve of, something they tried to stamp out of boys long ago.

Independent and free.

I still did not understand how the owners of the Ace could be men? Surely it would have made more sense for the girls to be trained and then brought for the men. Unless the owner of the Ace is a woman and they are merely cards in her deck.

But all the evidence led to my father.

_He will kill you in the end_

Maybe that was his plan. Make everyone in the town believe that it was the men in trouble when really the real danger lay after the Ace.

The real danger was to the wife's because the men were trained to kill them.

Is that what he wanted?

To kill women?

I shot up from my chair and ran into the living room.

"Mum" I shouted.

"Bella, what's wrong?" She came running into the room with Phil following after.

"The Ace isn't the real danger. The men who leave the Ace are. It won't matter if the women do exactly as the guidebooks say because the men are trained to kill them anyway. Charlie told me when we were at the house but I didn't understand it. The Ace is a diversion… Charlie and Aro are training them to kill the daughters in this town; they don't want to control the men… They want to murder the women without being caught"

"Do you have proof?" Phil asked.

I shook my head.

"He's trying to get his revenge on me" My mother whispered.

"Why?" I asked carefully going to my mother's side.

"Charlie isn't your father Bella, Riley is." I let out a large breath and had to sit down.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, don't kill me. <strong>

**REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU EVER EXPECTED THAT? BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNTIL I WROTE THE LAST SENTENCE. **

**xxxx **

**Keep your eyes peeled more chapters will pop up soon :) **


	12. Outtake for FFLLS

**Hello Everyone, **

**I know many of you will be, for lack of a better word, annoyed when you realise this is not a chapter. But I have something important to announce. A few chapters ago I put a note at the bottom stating that I was going to be donating a out-take to the Fandom for Leukemia and Lymphoma society. **

**For a donation of $5 you can read my out-take and get a whole pdf full of wonderful out-takes and oneshots from so many brilliant authors. My dear friend Loopylou992 is donating aswell as so many more. This is such a brilliant cause and I hope you all find time to look up the cause and to (hopefully) donate. **

If you go to my authors page you can hopefully find the link to the site, because well it's not letting me put it here.

**There you shall find a list of teasers and information about it. **

**Now onto the good stuff.**

**This is what I am offering you for the donation:**

**The boys have been trained to protect their wife's in a very different way to normal men. They were brought up in the Ace, an arena in which they fight each other to prove their worth. They do not understand the term wife, They do not understand any other way of coupling other than mounting and taking. Carlisle is the doctor who continues their care even when they are living with their wife's. After a while he begins to realize that the boys need to understand the ins and outs of sex so gathering all his strength and resources he gives the boys the famous Birds and the Bees talk. Dolls, positions and books. What could possibly go wrong.**

**That's right folks, it's Carlisle's point of view of ' THE TALK' with all sorts of added nonsense, ramblings and some sweet, horny and slightly frustrated Carlisle.:)**

**Please donate :)**

**Here's a teaser for you: **

"Now I'm sure you understand that you are very similar to these dolls." I motion towards the genital part of the doll and blush bright red. They nod and need no further explanation.

Emmett suddenly takes the dolls penis in his large hand and looks at it curiously. "Mine isn't this small" he says and I have to try so hard to rein in the laughter that wants to spill over into the room. I don't know how long I sit there watching him handle the doll before I let out a small laugh.

"Of course not Emmett, this is a doll. You are a real man and your body is alive. Now, I need you to answer me a question without being embarrassed" They nod and I just go for it.

"Has your penis ever become longer and harder?" once again my blush hits my face and I am surprised when it colours their faces too.

"Yes" They all mutter.

**So... hope you all donate to a worthy cause. **

**News about the next chapter of Ace**

**The next update is being finished( most likely) as you read this, I had a few things that needed to be done this week but it should be finished soon. **

**I know many of you may have been put off by the ending of the last chapter. I will say this again, this story is about control and power which means that it is going to be bumpy and have unexpected twists and turns. It will be a long process because let's face it in real life something as big as this would take friggin ages. Months, years even so please stick with it :)**

**Once again, Thank you for your support and your kind reviews about my ramblings of the Ace. :)**

**xxxx **


	13. Fly off the handle

**Hello Everyone, I am sorry about the long wait for this chapter. You see I hit a little bit of writers block with this and normally when that happens I write something else to get my mind back on track, that is why I have started ' When Love Rocks The Boat'. I will not abandon this fic as I know many people love it. **

**I want to thank all of you for reviewing :) **

**Now, I don't know if I will be able to upload within a week due to working this weekend, My 20th birthday on Monday and going to London on the Thursday. I am also getting ready to begin my second year at uni so I have to do work for that and I seem to be reading at least one book every two days right now so maybe that's why :)**

**This chapter is short because I wanted to get something out to you tonight :) **

**xxx **

* * *

><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

What? That makes no sense.

"But I look like him" I yelled while getting to my feet.

"Charlie is her father, Renee" Carlisle said as he entered the room.

"No, it can't be possible. I know who my child's father is" my mother insisted.

"Do you remember what happened after Charlie found you?"

"I remember him taking me home and then I was pregnant" her eyebrows clenched together in confusion.

"Renee, Charlie had you under house arrest for two months. We didn't mention it because we thought you knew what he was doing" Esme stated as she came to sit with us.

"But I don't understand, how could I not remember that?"

"Renee, Charlie came to me the night he found you and asked about a pill that could stop an unwanted pregnancy. He told me you were too emotional to come and get it yourself" He let out a scoff.

"I didn't know until after I issued the pill. When I tried to come and see you to make sure everything was fine, he would not let anyone near the house. I did some digging in the town and found that he had purchased a large quantity of a knockout drug. I was going to come round to tell you about what he was doing but you were suddenly there. You were at the door telling me you were fine and that you wished to be alone with your husband because you needed to make things right" she shook her head at Carlisle.

"I left because you wouldn't let me do any blood work and then less than two months later; we heard news that you were pregnant." He sighed but continued.

"So he is my father" Carlisle nodded.

"How can you be certain?" Phil asked while holding Renee's hands in his large ones.

"When you left Bella got sick and he had me do blood work. I already had a sample of his left over from the last physical he had, which was a few days earlier. I did a D.N.A test to find out the truth. Charlie is Bella's father."

My mother let out a long whimper which made my heart constrict painfully.

"But I don't understand, who is Riley?" I asked carefully.

"He's a man I met in town when I went shopping. He was beautiful and I don't know what happened but I went for a drink with him… it turned into more" She frowned and put her head down in shame.

"So you cheated on Charlie?" Nessie asked with a small frown on her face.

"You have to understand that my life with Charlie was not what I wanted. Something was missing." Esme's head shot up.

"But you were always so happy"

"Because I had to be, otherwise you and the rest of the town would have known something was going on. Charlie made me pretend to be happy." Her tone was laced with venom.

"Then I was suddenly pregnant with you and I was happy. You were my missing piece Bella but your father took a little time. I had you and then I was kidnapped by Phil" Phil's head fell.

"You saved me" She whispered into his ear.

"I want to kill him" He whispered back.

"I know"

Nessie came forward and joined in the family hug and I felt left out. This was their family, not mine. My father ruined my family.

"Bella" Nessie called.

She motioned with her head for me to join but I didn't. I walked straight to my husband and cuddled into his chest and left them to it. Edward was my family now.

"I love you" I whispered.

"Not nearly as much as I love you" he chuckled slightly, his arms came around my shoulders and held me in place.

It was hard to believe that this man was trained to kill me. I snuggled into his embrace and tried not to break down with this new information.

"So Charlie is my Father?" I asked Carlisle.

"Yes, I have the proof on paper if you don't believe me" he said with a small smirk obviously enjoying his own private joke.

"Then can I ask a favour of all of you?" I asked. All of the people in the room nodded and looked at me with a confused expression.

"Can give me information all at once instead of dishing it out at random intervals" I yelled and walked into the kitchen with Edward trailing behind me.

I boiled the kettle that was on the side in the small kitchen and grabbed two cups. I always found making and drinking tea after having a stressful day helped me to relax and unwind. It was the same as taking a hot bubble bath but I had no idea if we even had bubble bath here, or a bath tub for that matter.

I made the tea and sat down next to Edward. He took the cup I offered and drank it in two gulps.

I probably should not have shouted at everyone but I was angry at them for withholding information from me. First it was about Phil, now it was my supposed real parentage. I have had enough of people dishing out information whenever they feel like it. I mean, they obviously wanted the Ace to be over just as much as I did so why have they been keeping information from me?

"Are you alright?" Edward asked bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded but he didn't look convinced. How do you ask someone if they were trained to kill you or not?

"Just ask me" He said after a while. How did he know I needed to ask him something?

"My father told me that you are trained to kill me, is that true?" He looked down but nodded.

"We were trained to kill our wives but we don't know when we are to do it. All I know about it is that we have a trigger word which no one knows except the person who trained us." He picked up the mug and began to play around with it.

"Did my father train you?" I ask out of curiosity.

"No, I don't think so. I never saw him in the Ace"

"Oh…" What were you expecting Bella? You were hoping your father would not have covered his back.

"I realise that doesn't help" He sighed.

"All information is useful at this point" I put my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. I wanted this to be over so that Edward and I could get on with our lives.

"Edward, can I ask you something?" He nodded.

"Have you considered the fact that you might be given the choice of a divorce?" I didn't know how else to ask him.

"I have"

"Is that something you would want?"

"No"

A smile found its way onto my face and I let out a relieved sigh. Edward wasn't going to leave me…yet. The yet made my smile vanish. He could leave if he wanted too. After all he was only with me because of a stupid man who thought he had the right to play god and another man who was too chicken to say no to him. What would happen when he realised he didn't have to be with me, that he could start his life over without me.

"Bella, you are giving me a life I never thought I would have" His fingers touched my chin gently and lifted it until I was looking into his eyes. They showed promise and gratitude and for once I felt hope for my future. He knew what we were doing and he wanted it.

"You could have that with someone else too" I knew I should have not been saying this too him but I had to be sure he knew that I would not hold it against him.

"Yes, but they wouldn't understand me or what I have been through" I nodded because I knew this was partially true. Someone might not understand as well as I did but they would understand.

"I'm sorry my father did this to you" I whispered.

"I'm not" He cupped my face in his large hands.

"But I thought…"

"I've been thinking about it Bella. If it wasn't for the Ace I would have been safe with Carlisle and Esme and while I believe I would have been happy I know I might not have met you. And now thanks to the Ace I have met you" I smiled.

"I'm glad I met you too" I leaned my face into his palm and sighed.

"Bella, are you in there?" Nessie asked through the door.

I wanted to say something sarcastic back to her but I knew she only trying to make her presence known just incase Edward and I needed more time to talk. She was smart like that.

"Yes Nessie" I called. She walked through the door with mum on her heals and took a seat at the table.

"We wanted to talk to you about Phil" My mother said as she sat down.

"Alright" I turned my knees towards the table and played with my mug again.

"Phil, come in here and explain to Bella" I rolled my eyes at her.

"Now, I know you have some questions for me Be-"He stated the obvious.

"Why didn't you tell me about who you really are?" He opened his mouth to begin but I carried on.

"How did you get all that information? Or how about how you could have stopped the Ace years ago but left it?" I huffed and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Now I know you are mad because we didn't tell you everything but-"

"But nothing, I am fighting this with you and you keep information like that from me" I growled.

"We thought if you didn't know then…"

"Then I would what, go in the blind?" my voice rose a few octaves.

"Be protected Bella" My mother said quickly.

"Protected? I don't care about being protected, if you have information about the Ace or anything to do with the boys or my father you have to tell me" I stated.

"Why?" Phil asked with sudden narrowed eyes.

"So that if I come up against my father I know everything and not just bits and pieces that you have decided to dish out or that I have found out on my own" I pushed the seat back and was about the stand when a large hot hand covered mine.

"I can't tell you everything Bella" Phil whispered with pleading eyes.

"Then don't expect me to trust you fully" I left the room.

"You know you're not fighting this on your own" Carlisle said as I passed him in the living room.

"I know" I sighed.

"We all want to end it Bella but you have to realise that these things take time" I nodded but I didn't want to admit I had flew off the handle with Phil.

"I just want Edward and the boys to be free" He smiled.

"As does every person in this house" He smiled, put his hands on my shoulders and then made me face back to the door.

"There is something you need to do" I groaned, slapped his hands away and huffed back in the direction of the kitchen.

They were all sitting in the same place expect Edward; he had just stood up as I opened the door.

"I want to apologise for the way I acted, I still want to know everything about the Ace but I understand that certain things must be kept secret until the time is right" My mother smiled at me and Phil stood.

"You know, you're more like your mother than you realise" He laughed then exited the kitchen.

"And that means…" I asked her.

"I always fly of the handle before thinking it through" She giggled softly, stood and kissed my cheek before leaving too.

Edward smiled at me and Nessie seemed to take that as her cue to leave the kitchen. Edward and I were left alone once more.

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><p>Thanks for reading :)<p>

Please leave a review :)

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	14. Ace outtake

**I know you are all waiting patiently for me post the next chapter and trust me when I say it is being written! I have been rushed off my feet with uni work but now it's coming up to christmas I am hoping for it to slack a little. **

**I hope you enjoy this outtake :)**

**Please review! :)**

Author : NothingWrongWithImperfection 

Summary: The boys have been trained to protect their wife's in a very different way to normal men. They were brought up in the Ace, an arena in which they fight each other to prove their worth. They do not understand the term wife, they do not understand any other way of coupling other than mounting and taking. Carlisle is the doctor who continues their care even when they are living with their wife's. After a while he begins to realize that the boys need to understand the ins and outs of sex so gathering all his strength and resources he gives the boys the famous Birds and the Bees talk. Dolls, positions and books. What could possibly go wrong?

Special thanks from the Author: I want to thank LoopyLou992 for pre-reading and being my idea wall. This would be nothing without her and her crazy antics Thank you. I want to thank everyone who has donated and has taken the time to read this out- take. It means a lot to an author when someone takes the time to read their random ramblings.

Disclaimer: The characters mentioned in this work of fiction belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not take any credit for her characters.

Cpov

_You are a doctor for crying out loud. You have been trying to change their outlook for longer than you can remember, get a grip. _

This is all my mind has to offer me as I stand in front of the three young men I barely know. How does one tell them about their bodies and how different parts of meant to be used? I know I must tell them about the differences between us and females but that is easier said than done. I know Edward must have some sort of idea about it because I know he and Bella have been intimate. Could that have an impact now?

My head hurts from the amount of thinking I am doing and have done over the so many years in the Ace. I know I must teach them this but for some reason I am embarrassed by the whole subject and it seems my brain wants a way out of it.

_You could fake being sick? You might make it out the door._

No, this is my job. Those are my sons and this is my family.

I grab the models of various body parts, the dolls and the videotapes and prepare myself for the next however many hours it takes. I estimate this will be a long talk but somehow I know that when I exit this room I will feel lighter, happier and hopefully some of the stress that seems to always be eating at me will disappear.

The boys look at me and to the various models I have placed on the table in the games room. This is where they feel comfortable to talk to Esme so why should they not feel it with me? I have set the model of the woman's organs closest to them. They look at it for a moment before they shake their heads and set their eye lines elsewhere. This is what I was hoping for – a sign.

I take a deep breath and hand each of them a doll of a woman. I found them in strange shop in another city and thought they would have been perfect for sexual education, however, I never could have imagined that I would be using them while explaining to fully grown men. Well, there are a few that need it. I mean, I hear the ladies at the local supermarket and in the park. Let's just say, I hope Esme does not say those things about me or my bits. _Get back on track_. The dolls have all the right bits and pieces and are the perfect tool for me to use. The boys begin to flip them around and run their fingers through the short artificial hair that covers the place of their confusion. I cannot help but feel angry at myself. Of course they are confused, they have never had any sort of interaction with females or their own bodies. I know because the files state that if they were caught touching themselves they would be punished for it. I feel a sudden urge to inflict that pain on the owner. I know the others might not notice it but I am just as angry at the person as they are. I want my own revenge too because after all the owner of the Ace took away my son's and Esme's happiness all in one night. Maybe we should rip the humanity from the owner as retaliation? Give them a taste of their own medicine.

They are looking at the dolls like they are some sort of bomb.

_Get out now, while you still can._

The immature part of my brain kicks in and begins to rattle off a list of why they should never trust women, how they can use that very specific part of their body as a weapon against us, as a punishment. I have been on the receiving end of one of those punishments and it still aches to think about it.

Two weeks of not being able to touch the love of your life leaves an ache. Not just in your heart but in your private parts too.

_Maybe I should warn the boys… Get back on track._

I clear my throat and begin.

"Do you know what you are holding?" I ask to break the ice.

"A woman doll" Edward replies, I nod my head and take out another doll from the box. I point to the stuffed sections that are meant to be the woman's breasts. "Do any of you know what these are?" Again Edward nods.

"Br-Breats" He tries and I have to give him some credit for that.

"Not quite but well done. These are called Breasts" I make sure the name is clear and I repeat it twice. As if on cue the boys begin to feel the stuffed sections. Their fingers poke at them and then do it again and again.

"Milk" Edward says suddenly and it takes me off guard, I drop the doll but regain composure quickly making sure to pick the doll back up. He looks at the doll for a second before placing his hands on his own chest and smiling when he finds no such mounds there.

"That's right Edward; their function is to produce milk for a baby" Emmett's head snaps up but then shoot right back down to the dolls chest.

I think I should move on.

"Do you know what this is?" I point to the dolls private parts and gulp. My hands are sweaty and my mouth has lost all moisture. This is the moment of truth.

"Hair" I mentally smack myself at Emmett's answer. Of course he said hair because that's what he can see right now. He does not know what lies underneath the hair because he has not explored that part of the doll yet.

"Yes that's right. But there is something else" Edward lies the doll on the armrest of his chair. He then lifts the dolls legs at a strange angle and finds the hidden place. The boys do the same and soon each of them is looking at the section of the doll which provides new information to their learning.

I focus on Jaspers face and almost sigh at the confused look on his face, I should say something. But I am stopped by Emmett. "I don't have that" he shouts while inspecting his private area that I wished had stayed private. I am a doctor but I did not need to see Emmett's penis, in any shape or form, ever.

"Where's my hole?" He said while looking back at the doll. His eyes kept moving to the doll and then back to his part. I closed my eyes and tried to rein in everything.

How do you explain that?

"Erm…" I try.

"Ed, do you have one?" Em asks coming round to Edward.

"No, boys do not have a _hole_ Emmett. Our parts are outside of our body" I try to explain. I don't have the courage to explain this to him tonight.

"You have a penis whereas a woman has a vagina" His eyebrow's knot together and he looks at the doll before pulling up his trousers and sitting back down.

I put the doll I am holding down and walk around the table. The model of a woman's vagina sits on the table and suddenly it looks so daunting to me. I am a doctor but right now it scares me.

"This is what is inside a real woman's vagina" I say blushing. This should not be so hard; I had to make the same speech to a bunch of teenagers in the nearby school. I have the model in my doctor's office in town and have many more that are stashed until I need them. I have the stomach, the brain and a full size model of the whole human body with removable body parts.

A woman's vagina should be no problem. I look at the model and see nothing but the normal things I have to talk about with a patient. I look back at the boys and realise this is different, these are not my patients. These boys are counting on me to help them understand. Bella and the girls are counting on me to give them this knowledge, not for their own personal gain but for the boys. For their personal knowledge of what makes us different, what makes them different.

Emmett is the first to rise and come closer, Jasper follows and when Edward joins us I point at the specific parts. I do not use specific terms because I know they will not understand them. I do use the correct name and also the most common of the names I can remember it being called.

Emmett is laughing at the tubes because they looks funny to him, Edward is sitting down again and has an intense look on his face while he studies the doll. Jasper is, I suppose in his own little world and oddly I am okay with that. He seems happier though and you can tell Alice has been helping him come to terms with how he personally views their relationship. I am proud of her because she is trying to be everything he needs and more.

I walk over to Edward and see him stroking the dolls stomach. I put my hand on the arm of the chair and wait for him to ask me something.

"Bella said a baby grows in here" He runs his fingers along the dolls abdomen and smiles. I nod my head and pull on of the wooden seats closer.

"Do you know how babies are made?" I ask clearly. This is a complete change of subject but obviously something he wants to know about.

He shakes his head.

Emmett and Jasper come and sit where I motion them and pick up their dolls again. I grab the other type of doll from the box and hand each of them the male counterpart.

"Now I'm sure you understand that you are very similar to these dolls." I motion towards the genital part of the doll and blush bright red. They nod and need no further explanation.

Emmett suddenly takes the dolls penis in his large hand and looks at it curiously. "Mine isn't this small" he says and I have to try so hard to rein in the laughter that wants to spill over into the room. I don't know how long I sit there watching him handle the doll before I let out a small laugh.

"Of course not Emmett, this is a doll. You are a real man and your body is alive. Now, I need you to answer me a question without being embarrassed" They nod and I just go for it.

"Has your penis ever become longer and harder?" once again my blush hits my face and I am surprised when it colours their faces too.

"Yes" They all mutter.

"This is normal. Your penis will become hard when you are aroused or in the morning. Some other times too but let's not go into that" They look puzzled for a moment before nodding.

"Now, has this happened around your wife's?" They nod again.

"Have you mounted yet?" I ask. Edward nods his head. Emmett does too but Jasper stays quiet. Surely if Emmett had mounted he would have known that he did not have a hole like Rose. Was he telling the truth about mounting? Or does he still not understand?

"I remember…" Edward begins but then stops himself.

"Right, I want you to make the dolls do the positions you did" They make the dolls make the mounting position. _Of course they do_. I take it all in and then place my dolls in the missionary position. I sit back and wait while they look at it wide eyed before making the dolls do the same position.

I smile and then tell them the name of it and why people do it that way. Their eyes are full of surprise and confusion but I must keep going because I know sooner or later they will mount. I turn the dolls again and make put them in a sitting position. This one seems to get their attention, my mind suddenly fills with an image of Esme in a small pink nightie, sitting above me…. riding…. Stop. I shake it from my head but I know that I will have to make it happen sometime soon.

I miss her.

Ever since she found the boys again she has been attending to me less, I know she does not mean for it to happen but lately she has been ignoring all my attempts at intimacy. I have tried in the morning, in the evening just before dinner and even at night and I am still waiting. I even snuck into the shower with her yesterday and she continued to wash her hair like I wasn't even there. If it wasn't for the occasional kisses and light touches I would think I had done something wrong and she was punishing me for it. I shake it from my head before I can become too focussed on it and continue to move the dolls this way and that.

"But they are not doing anything" Edward says before he grabs his dolls and begins to move them in rhythm. My eyebrows recede into my hairline and I swallow a small laugh.

I nod and motion for him to stop.

"This is how babies are made. If the right precautions are not in place then a baby may be conceived. Bella, Rose and Alice cannot have babies yet but one day in the future they may be able to" I do not miss the huge smile that lights up their faces.

So they do want children.

"Can Esme have children?" Jasper whispered. I gulped. It wasn't that Esme couldn't have children, it was that I… I couldn't. So many people believed it was Esme who could not carry… So many shunned her because they thought she was barren. I should have said something to them, I should have stood up and said it was my fault we did not have any children. I shook my head but went no further.

"Now, I want you to try this the next time you have the chance with your wives. Do not attack them or force them if they do not wish to do it. Be gentle about it."

The boys look a little better and have a small smile playing on their lips no doubt thinking of the pleasure. I gather up the dolls and models and put them all back into the box. They will be coming out again as I know this will require more than one lesson.

"Any questions?" I say as I turn. The books that I would have shown them lay forgotten on the table. The Kama sutra smiles up at me begging me to turn its cover. I almost reach for it.

"What is it called?" Edward asks quietly.

"Sexual intercourse or Sex for short" I say and fold the flaps on the model box.

I wipe my sweating palms on my jeans and try to stop the images of Esme from crawling into my focus.

_Must focus on the boys, do not think of Esme and her pink…._

"I think we should stop there for today. We shall carry this on another time because there are many more things you need to know but for now I think we could all do with our wives and bed" I smile to them and let them wander out of the room to find their wife's.

I have to prepare for Esme now so I escape the room leaving the box there and hastily open the door to our beautiful room. I find Esme's underwear drawer quickly and dig around before coming upon the pink lace nightie.

I hold it up for a second before a throat clears behind me.

"It's not really your colour dear" I wink at her and she closes the door.

"Finally" I whisper as she walks towards me, she takes the nightie from my hands and walks into the bathroom.

My shoes fly from my feet, followed by the rest of my clothing. I am just in my black boxers when the bathroom door opens and she walks out.

"So doctor, I've been having this ache recently and I was wondering if you could help me with it" Esme states as she gets up onto the bed. I can see the outline of her nipples, I can't control myself.

I tackle her and kiss her ruby lips.

"I love you" I hear her say.

"Yep, me too. Now, take off this nightie and let me take a look" My smart mouth earns me a swat on my behind but she kneels again and slowly takes the offending garment off.

_Oh, but you spent so long thinking about it._

"So what do you recommend Doctor?" Esme purrs.

_She fucking purred!_

"Erm, what?" I catch her giggle and realise what she said.

"I recommend position number 42" I smirk because I know it's one she loves.

Her eyes widen and I notice her legs get a little closer together.

"Now, get to it" She giggles and drops down onto her belly, her hands go under the pillow and she clings to it.

With her ass in full view I cannot help but tap it lightly as pay back for her earlier assault on my behind.

"Are you going to stand there all day doctor or are you going to make it better" She waves her delectable backside in the air. She knows what she's doing.

I'm a dead man, the call of the hidden place has rendered me speechless and there is no hope for me now. My brain has been taken over by the long, hard thing that is currently trying to break free from the black boxers that contain it.

Once it is out I have no more control, the rational Carlisle has left. In his place is a weak man who has not felt the wondrous warmth of his wife in a lifetime.

He is the one that makes her scream, moan and literally fall apart. I have nothing to do with it.

Maybe I should warn the boy's about the power women have… Nah, I'll tell them next time.

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><p>Let me know what you think xxxx<p> 


	15. Ace of Spades

**I am so very sorry that it has taken a long time for me to upload a chapter.**

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><p><strong><span>Bpov<span>**

I floated in the large bathtub that had taken me only five minutes to find. It had been a stressful day and all I wanted was to take a load off and relax. My body was growing weary by the second but my mind decided it had other plans. I cursed my father and Aro silently in my head and to my bodies disapproval I sat up and grabbed the cream wash cloth next to it and plunged it into the water muttering my disapproval of being related to such a man. When the cloth had been sufficiently drowned I grabbed the small bar of soap from the small vanity and roughly applied it to the cloth.

I muttered something unintelligent under my breath and began to furiously wash my arms. If Esme were in the room right now she would tell me to take it easy, that trying to wash off my skin will not erase the fact that my father is a disgusting excuse for a human. I suppose she would also tell me that we can't choose our family.

"I wish I could" I muttered and plunged the wash cloth back into the rose scented water. I knew you couldn't choose your family and I knew that I would never be rid of my father's ill doings but there was something I had that he didn't. I had people who were passionate about our fight. My father's side was only passionate about how much money they could make at the next sale, and who out of the women in the town would die next. If felt like a life time since I realised that was part of his plan and I was worried that we were taking too much time now. I had figured out a small part of his plan but that still didn't explain how we ended the Ace and got all the men to safety. I sighed and washed my legs, this was taking a toll on everyone and I couldn't help but feel that I was missing something important, something that only I was meant to notice.

I heard feet pounding on the hard wood floors outside and even though I needed to wash my hair, I got out of the tub.

I dried myself off quickly and pulled on my light blue pyjama set and wrapped my large white robe around my body. The sounds began pouring through the hallway as I walked down it.

"No, stay away from him" Alice demanded.

"Alice…" Jasper's sweet voice echoed through the room. When I finally made it to the front room, everyone was in a circle surrounding something. I pushed my way through the men who had been sitting in the back ground working on the computers and came face to face with Jasper sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.

"It's okay sweetheart. I'm not angry" Alice said with a small smile on her lips. Jasper trembled on the floor and raised his head a fraction. Alice bent to his level and placed her small hands on his face.

"Jasper, I'm happy" His head shot up and upon seeing her smile his face broke into the biggest grin I had ever seen.

"What just happened?" I whispered to Rose who was softly weeping into Emmett's shoulder. I was beyond confused and I needed someone to explain it to me before I jumped to the wrong conclusions… again.

"Jasper kissed Alice" Esme said with a hint of pride. My eyebrows furrowed and she laughed lightly.

"We have been working on Jaspers emotions and how to express them." I nodded like I knew what she was talking about.

"Jasper, why don't you tell everyone what just happened" Alice encouraged.

"I..erm… I wanted to kiss you, so I did" He said with a slight stutter. Alice grabbed onto his face and kissed him smack bang on the lips.

"I have already told you, Kiss me anytime you like!" He nodded. "No more worrying about whether it's okay or not" Alice giggled and cuddled into his form.

It was now obvious that Jasper had freaked out about kissing Alice. I wanted to ask Esme how he was fairing but I yawned instead. Alice then followed so she took Jasper by the hand and sneakily left the room with him. Rose punched me lightly on the shoulder and smiled gently. I looked at her face and noticed that she looked worn out.

"Rose, are you alright?" I asked quietly.

"Oh Bella, I'm fine. I miss you though." I noticed then just how much I had neglected my sisters. They lived under the same roof as I and yet it had been days since I had spoken to either of them. I felt guilty and selfish for allowing all my time to be spent on other things and not on the people that mattered to me. I had spent way to long trying to fight this cause on my own that I forgot about Alice and Rose. I made a vow silently that I tomorrow I would spend the whole day worrying about how the boys and my sisters were instead of trying to alienate everyone. I took her hand and squeezed it.

"We shall spend tomorrow together. All of us" I said, she nodded and then dragged Emmett off down the hall.

When she left I looked around and saw everyone had returned to their last activity and I was left alone with Edward who was leaning against the wall with a smile on his face. I yawned again and rubbed at my eyes.

"Time for bed" Edward asked, I nodded and turned towards our room. I heard his footsteps following slowly, almost as if he was stalking me. I turned slowly and he smirked. Edward was being playful and I felt my whole face and heart light up like a Christmas tree. He took my hand when he reached me and guided me the rest of the way. Once inside our bedroom he slipped off my robe and draped it over the chair that lay near. I yawned again and wondered if this was my body's way of telling me it needed to rest and recuperate. He left me, only to pull back the rose coloured sheets and then just like that he was back at my side, guiding me into my side of the bed.

"Are you coming to bed?" I mumbled.

"Of course" He laughed lightly.

After he discarded his shirt and jeans he changed into a loose fitting pair of shorts and quickly shut off the light. My head felt heavy on the pillow but I felt when the bed dipped and then his added warmth. I snuggled into the blankets but huffed when I couldn't get comfortable. Edward's arm wrapped itself around my waist and he pulled me to him. I felt myself mould to the lines of his body and my eyes drooped and I let myself fall asleep.

When I woke someone was speaking in hush tones. I opened my eyes and blinked away from the light shining through from the window.

"She was talking about a card game" Edward said to the other person.

"I'm sure it was nothing, dreams have a way of making no sense at all" Esme replied in a motherly tone.

"She sounded determined, if that's the right word"

"Yes, that is correct. Well done. If you are worried Edward, why don't you ask her what she dreamt of" I swallowed thickly. I had dreamt of the card game my father and I always used to play.

I shot up and almost tumbled out of bed.

"Bella, what's wrong sweetie?" Esme called as she ran to the bed.

"I need those cards. I know what I have to do" I replied and jumped from the bed ready to put my plan into action.

"And what is that Bella?" She asked as I pulled on my robe.

"I have to play a game of cards with my father" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Carlisle!" She yelled.

Within ten seconds of her shouting his name, everyone had piled into the room wondering what was wrong. I spotted the deck of cards lying on top of the vanity and wondered how they got there when I had no recollection of ever putting them there.

"Bella, please. What game" My mother said with desperation.

"My game, The Ace of Spades" My mother fainted.

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><p><strong>Thank you for sticking with me and reviewing. It means a lot to me :) xxx <strong>


	16. Painted nails

**Hey everyone, **

**Sorry about the lack of updates! I finished my second year of university so I should be updating more. **

**Thanks for reading :)**

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><p>Bpov<p>

The next few hours were a blur of explanations, lectures and the occasional cup of tea. The boys had sat in the living room patiently while we worked on a plan of action. They had offered to help but I didn't want them to, they had been through enough.

Rose and Alice were helping to pack the supplies and Esme was calmly trying to make my mother see sense. I honestly did not know what to say to her. What could I say to make her trust me? Nothing. She didn't even know me. It pained me to think about that but that's the way it was. She doesn't understand this feeling I have in the pit of my stomach telling me that this is right. I have to do this in order to save Edward and all the other boys that my father decided to enslave. I could save everyone or so I hoped.

"But Bella…" This is the third time she has tried to get my attention. I don't look at her; I know what she is going to say. I keep my eyes focussed on the cards as I sort them into piles. I have to memorise every single card and name. That way I will know before he does whether I have been successful.

Phil has been running a ' code' for some time but I admit I do not know what for. Jacob has been doing the same thing but this time he has been trying to crack the codes on the doors that Carlisle has never entered. That being said Carlisle has been sitting for hours with a blueprint of the arena and writing every single thing about the place he can call from memory. He was there yesterday but as he had said many times, the codes and locks can be changed in an instant. Jacob is the one trying to get past it using his computer.

James's section of the room is full of charts and red markers pinpointing which of the boys according to Carlisle's files will be the most dangerous if commanded to attack. He is preparing for an army of trained soldiers, which come to think of it makes sense. These boys are trained to kill just like our boys.

"Bella, what are you going to do if you lose?" I have to look up then. She is tired and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth and I hate it. She has had to deal with him for too long, it's completely understandable for her to be worried about loosing the fight.

"I am going to shoot him between the eyes" I whisper. She makes a startled noise and to be honest, I'm shocked too. I would have never thought about putting a bullet in my father's head until I met and fell in love with Edward. I didn't think my father was doing anything wrong but now I know the truth.

"You would do that?" I shake my head.

"No" I have to state it in order to make sure I believe it. I won't shoot my father, I won't. I will hurt him though and when I do, it will be because of her. Edward may be the catalyst but my mother is the reason. I have to save her from him.

"I need you to help me" I push all the cards back together and put them back in the box.

"How?"

"I need you to wait outside with all the boys who are already out of the arena" She arches an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because they are going to tear it down" I sip at my cold tea and watch as her lips curve into a smile.

"I'll start finding them" She left the room.

I tip the rest of my tea down the sink and make my way to the living room. I said to Rose that we would spend the day together before any of this happened. That is what we shall do because tomorrow I go to the arena. They are sitting playing a board game on the floor, Rose is sitting on Emmett's lap and Alice is sitting in between Jaspers legs. It's a sweet picture until I realise Edward is alone. I take my seat next to him on the floor and snuggle up to his arm. He automatically lifts his arm around me, as though he has been doing it his whole life. Alice hands me the dice and I roll a double. Edward moves the horse around the board; I roll again and end up in jail. The irony is not lost on me. We play the game until Emmett and Rose have wiped the floor with us. There are smiles all round and I want to hold onto forever hold onto this moment but this needs to end. It needs to end tomorrow.

"Bella, Can I plait your hair?" Alice pouts and I give in. She has not plaited my hair in so long and honestly, I miss it. She is the only one who takes the time to brush it properly. Mrs Cope used to brush it when I was young but never with such care. Rose excuses herself for a minute and comes back with a bag of nail polish that I instantly draw away from. I hate nail polish. It smells, it chips and it looks stupid on my hands. She doesn't let me back away from it too far and I'm trapped, I have to accept the nail polish because she won't let it go. I smile, put on a brave face and give her my hand; I can sacrifice my nails for a smile on her face. She paints them a pale pink and I have to admit, it looks better than I expected. The boys pack away the game and sit on the chairs watching us. I don't mind, Edward seems happy and that's all I care about.

After dinner Edward and I leave the living room but no one looks up when we pass through the computer room. Tomorrow is going to be stressful for everyone.

"Bella, are you really going to go into the Ace tomorrow?" Edward whispers after a while.

"Yes, I have to face him" I'm content right now, just sitting in our makeshift bedroom alone. I don't have to worry about anything other than him right now and that's how it should be.

"Are you going alone?" I nod my head. He doesn't need to know this but I tell him anyway. He's my husband and I don't want any secrets between us.

"Bella, I need to come with you" His voice is tight and I know he is trying not to shout it at me.

"Why?"

"To protect you" His lips gently press against my hair and I almost cry. I don't want him there but I don't want to deny him what he wants. My father stole his choices from him; I don't want to do that.

"I don't want you to be there Edward, you might get hurt" Even as the words fall from my mouth I know there are a load of rubbish. Edward is the Ace; he's the strongest of them all.

"You're forgetting… I'm the Ace. The highest ranking card" I want to tell him no. I need to tell him no, but I can't. I just nod my head and accept his offer to protect me.

"Good" My body wants to touch him but my mind knows that I'm not in the right frame of mind for that right now.

"Edward can I tell you something?" He nods as I exhale.

"I still don't understand what my father is doing, the Ace makes no sense. When I first found out about the Ace I thought it was just to protect the women of the town. Then after talking to my father, I thought it could be about killing the young women in the town. I just don't know anymore. I could have been right the first time or the second or even now but it doesn't make any sense. Why would anyone do this?" I took a breath and released it.

"Because they could"

"But surely there is a reason behind it. This journey has been one confusing question after another. I still don't know what's going on. But everyone out there seems to have faith in me and I know they think I'm capable of bringing the ace down. I know I have to play the game with my father but thinking about it, I don't know why. The more I think about all of this, the more I question and second guess everything the less I understand" I take another breath.

"I know that the Ace will end tomorrow because I have to end it. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I am."

"And I'm going to help you"

"I just don't understand. Edward, do you know why he let me have you?" He heaves a sigh and I instantly look up.

"You know?" He nods slowly.

"Why haven't you told me?"

"Because there's more to the explanation" His breathing picked up slightly and I started to panic.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, have you ever thought the reason nothing makes sense is because it is not supposed to? Emmett, Jasper and I have been talking and we think we worked it out. We were going to tell you but everything moved so fast and we weren't sure until now"

"Edward, you tell me right now"

"We think your father is insane" he blew out a breath.

"Yeah, we know that"

"No I don't think you understand" He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat up straighter in the bed.

"A few months before Carlisle came into the Ace I heard someone saying that the boss was crazy. Of course, I was young I didn't know what it meant but when Carlisle came I asked him. He told me all the meanings of the word and that was it. I forgot about it until I spoke to Esme the other week and she brought up the word again. I didn't tell her just in case I was wrong or was simply bringing something from my childhood that wasn't meant to be here" I nodded.

"Where are you going with this?"

"I think your father is 'crazy'" The way he emphasised the word made me catch on.

"Crazy as in mentally insane?" He nodded.

"He can't be… I mean… could he?"

"I haven't been exposed to much Bella but even I know all of this doesn't make any sense!" His fingers went back to the bridge of his nose. I couldn't help but frown at the sight. This was not what I wanted. I wanted him free of everything to do with the Ace.

"But that still doesn't make any sense"

"Bella, I could be wrong… I'm from the Ace, I shouldn't understand anything" I hit his arm softly after he said that.

"You understand more then you know. I think it's time we spoke to Esme and Carlisle"

He nodded and we left the room to find them.

Everyone seemed on high alert when we got to the computer room. The room was a mess of papers, boxes and people. I found Esme and Carlisle milling around James's desk looking at the chart on the wall. I pulled Edward forward and grasped his hand in mine.

"Everyone, Edward has something he needs to ask" His eyes widened and he immediately shook his head. He needed to tell them, not me.

"What is it?" Carlisle immediately asked.

"Could it be possible that Charlie is…?" He stopped. "What were those words Bella?"

"Mentally insane?" I muttered into his ear.

"Could Charlie be mentally insane?" The room fell silent.

"We already know the man is nuts…." Jacob chipped in. Obviously they were not getting it.

"No, What if Charlie actually has a mental disorder?" Esme's head shot up.

"Of course, why did we never think of that before" Her arms shot up and she ran to a small cardboard box at the other end of the room. She flipped the flaps back and dove her small hands in before pulling out a mammoth book.

She held it up for us to see.

Mental Disorders were the only words I saw.

Even if it turned out to be nothing, I was still so very proud of Edward.

"Now, where to start" She slammed the book onto the nearest desk, licked her thumb and opened the book.

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><p><strong>The end of close. <strong>

**Leave me a review and let me know what you think :) **


	17. Goodbye

**Please do not be too mad at me. **

**I haven't updated in a while and I wish I had a good reason but I don't. I had writers block and at times I thought I wasn't ever going to be able to finish this. But... I am going to finish it this week. I have two more normal chapters and then an epilogue. I wanted a 30 chapter fic but that is not going to happen, I hope that in the future I can but not with this one. **

**I may pull this and re-write but I doubt it. If you want an outtake, say in Edward's Pov, then review and let me know :) I will do my best to write something for you guys! **

**Thanks to LOOPYLOU for helping me with this when I desperately needed you. You have been a life saver. **

**This is unbeta'ed so please forgive any mistakes, they are all mine!**

**THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND :) **

**DISCLAIMER: As always the characters are not mine, they belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

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><p><strong>Bpov<strong>

_It's not his fault. _

_It's his fault. _

_It's not his fault. _

That's the argument that has been going around in my head for the last two hours. Ever since Esme told me that Charlie had all the symptoms of someone who has a mental illness. I was glad that I finally had a reason for his behaviour but part of me, a small part, deep down wanted to blame him still. I wanted to throw away the new piece of information and his mental illness and just blame him because it would make it easier to face him. It would make it easier to hate him.

As soon as Esme told me that she thought my father suffered from a Cluster A Personality Disorder I suddenly found that I couldn't hate him anymore because looking at it now and realising that I never did have a close personal relationship father means that I could have missed the signs. I probably missed the fact that he could have suffered from depression. I defiantly missed the fact that he lived in a fantasy world most of time… and it made me realise just how bad a daughter I was.

I knew that my father worked a lot and I knew that he loved me but I think I just accepted it. I never threw a fit and asked him if he was happy. I never forced him to play dress up with me even though I could have made him laugh and made his day that little bit better. I don't blame my six-year-old self because I didn't know about any of this stuff. I didn't know people could suffer from depression, I didn't know that people could harm other people… I was so naïve but that's the thing, I didn't have to understand it and I didn't have to know because I was so small and naïve. I was a child and that's something my father never took away from me.

He didn't take my childhood; he took away everyone else's. He took away Edward's bear, his ability to laugh at the things so innocently and his naivety. I do hate my father for that… I do. But I hate the people who knew Charlie more because they knew something wasn't right and they let it go. They walked on by like it not their problem; like it wasn't their job to help him.

_Your mother knew._

My mother did know and she tried to make the best of the situation but then my father found out what she did and tried to make her pay for it. I know my father was suffering from something that day because now I think he wouldn't have let her go otherwise. I know I'm making excuses for him and I should hate him. I should… I don't. I hate that he had suffer alone, I hate that he had to create a whole disaster for me to realise that my father needed me. I hate that he made my mother leave and now I realise that was the best thing for her but most of all I hate that I couldn't help him.

But that's going to change.

I'm going to the Arena today, I'm not taking any of my mothers men. I'm not taking a gun that Phil taught me how to shoot a few hours ago. I'm not even taking Edward. I'm taking the cards, Edward's bear and my heavy heart and I'm hoping that it will be enough to jog his memory and bring my dad back. He's not evil, he's just lost and I want to find him again.

I packed up the bear and cards into the small backpack that my mother had brought for me. I didn't pay attention to the small red light I saw blinking inside. I tried to be discreet about disabling the microphone but it didn't work, Nessie saw and demanded that I leave it so that she would know that I was safe. I stopped trying to disable it and we hugged for a long time. I could disable it later. If this didn't go as planned then I might never see her again and that hurt to think about. I spent a long time in my mother's arms trying to soothe her. Esme was trying to take me from her arms so she could brief me one more time on how to handle Charlie. I wanted to tell her that he was my father and that I had to believe he wouldn't hurt me today despite the previous threats. My mother gripped me tighter and repeatedly kissed the top of my head.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this" She whispered in my ear.

"You have nothing to be sorry for"

"If I had paid more attention to your father and less about my own unhappiness, maybe he wouldn't have done this" She was blaming herself and it made me wonder if she was partly to blame for it. _No. _Life dealt my mother and father a hand that couldn't play that was all.

"And what would that have done?"

"It might have cured him… might have made us happier again"

"Then we wouldn't have Phil or Nessie" I reminded her.

"Maybe not"

"You have to try and do the best you can with cards you are dealt. If you win, you win but if you lose, reshuffle the deck and try again" I sounded so corny right then but I was over emotional and so was she.

"You're very wise Bella. I'm so very proud of you" She kissed my forehead and smiled before she walked to Phil and hugged him around the waist. If she had stayed with Charlie, she wouldn't be smiling like she is and I wouldn't have a sister… No, this way is better. I just felt sorry my father and all the suffering.

…..

"You don't have to do this, we can… we can storm the Ace and set the boys free. Emmett is strong and so is Jasp-" I kissed Edward to stop him from running out of breath.

"I'm storming the Ace and setting the boys free. You have to stay here so my father cannot control you" Edward shook his head.

"He cannot control me now"

"Why is that?"

"I have a choice now. I have a life" I could feel the tears coming but I kept them back.

"And I want you to keep it" I kissed his cheek and put my head on his chest. He pulled me closer and kept me there. I could feel his heart beating a mile a minute and I wanted to be inside of him. Lying in his chest where I would be protected from the horrors of the world. I had to grow up now; I had to protect my husband. That was what I needed to do. I needed to be strong and just do it.

I took a deep breath, grabbed his hand and left our bedroom. I didn't know if I would ever see it again but I had no more time to think about it. I had a few last goodbyes to say and then I was off. I needed to face my father and even though many would consider that this wasn't my fight. I felt it was and I intended to finish it even if it meant giving up my life for Edward. I would do it. He deserved a chance, one that he never got.

I knew Esme and Carlisle would look after him and never make him do something he didn't want to do. I knew that Rose and Alice would protect him like they protected me and I knew, without a doubt that any woman that Edward chose to love after me would be the luckiest woman in the world. I just hope she realised that.

"If I don't come back…"

"There's no if… You have to come back or I'm coming there and this time I won't stop" I shook my head, tears welling up behind my eyelids threatening to destroy my strength.

"I'll come back" I lied. I didn't know if I would but I had to say something to keep the haunted expression from his face.

"You better" He kissed me one last time and hugged me fiercely. I was then passed around and around and by the time I got back to him, I was dizzy and emotional and ready to fight for them.

...

"The camera inside your bag is directly linked to one in this truck and others around the town. If something looks to be going wrong, we shall be there. If you need help press the tiny button on the strap and we shall be there. The microphone will pick up any threats made towards you and we shall be there. No matter what happens, keep this bag strapped to your back and do not let anyone take. Demand to be taken to your father… kick up a fuss… Do not let them take your bag" Jacob explained as we weaved in and out of the trees. I had decided that Jacob would be the one to take me a long time ago. His driving skills were brilliant and I felt it only fitting since he drove me from the Courthouse to the hideout.

"Promise me that you will protect Nessie" He looked at me with wide eyes before he realised what I meant.

"I will, but you're not saying goodbye to me." How did he know that?

"Jacob, I might not come out of there" I was being realistic so why could no one understand that.

"You will" He winked.

"How do you know?"

"Trust me"

"Tell me. How do you know?" I demanded. I was so confused. Why did everyone not take this seriously? I could be walking to my death and they were adamant that I would be returning.

"Bella, we are here" I looked out of the window and was instantly hit with memories of Edward and my wedding day. I don't want to be here.

"Jacob, I don't…."

"You can do it Bella. Remember what I said, push that button" He leant over my lap and opened the door. I stepped out and watched with confusion as he peeled away from the Arena and back into the woods. Surely someone had seen our approach. I looked up at the large metal building and found it to be exactly like before. Nothing had changed in that building. It was me that had changed.

"Isabella" my hands instantly found the strap on my bag. I wasn't going to push it until I had to.

"Aro" He nodded his head and gave me a creepy smile.

"Your father is looking forward to seeing you again" I narrowed my eyes at the mention of my father.

"Enough talking Aro, take me to him" He laughed in the back of his throat and turned. I wasn't man handled by guards or treated as a danger to the Arena. What the hell was going on?

"Follow me" I did. I followed him through the large metal doors at the front, through corridors and small hallways, through the room that smelt of blood and death and then into the Arena. My heart pounded in my chest and threatened to come out. I had no idea what was going on but I knew it wasn't good.

"Hello Isabella how's your mother?" She said with a wicked smile. I stood shock still as she pulled a gun from her purse and pushed it into my father's head. I felt my life slow down. I could see, smell and feel everything. I could see the rope cutting into my father's skin, I could feel the tension and panic radiating from him and I could taste the sweat already beading on my upper lip. I was in way over my head. It was never about Edward or even me. It was always about her. A woman I hadn't seen since she left my father's office in tears after he refused to deal with her anymore. I understood now. They knew that I was going to find something wrong in the arena and they knew I was going to call them. They had planned it, Phil, Esme, my mother and Edward. They all knew… I smiled inside. I wasn't alone in this.

"Victoria"

"Hello, Bellyboo" My skin prickled.

I grasped the bag's strap in my hand and knew that by now everyone involved would know who was in control. I pushed the button. The ace was going to be brought down today and there was nothing she could do about it.

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><p>Review and let me know what you think :) Even if it is only to shout at me :) I would like to get to 300 reviews before the end of this story :) Thanks!<p> 


	18. The Truth

** Here it is. The moment you have all been waiting patiently for... the showdown with the leader of the Ace! This was unexpected even to me so please don't kill me :) **

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine but the story is. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last night it was just the push I needed to finish this story. Special thanks to xolove for reviewing only to bump up my reviews! Many thanks! Special thanks to Remington700PSS for pointing out a mistake that I missed :) And thank you to everyone else! I could not have written this without your wonderful reviews and kind words. I feel as we come to a close on this story I am loosing a part of myself.  
><strong>

**There is still one more chapter and then an epilogue and a EPOV outtake. Please let me know an outtake you would like me to write. **

**Thank you :) **

Here we go...

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><p>Bpov<p>

"Victoria please put the gun down" I tried to be calm. The last thing I wanted was for her to shoot my father before I got any answers from him.

"No. It's mine and you can't have it" She hugged it closer to her and stroked it.

"I don't want it Victoria, I just don't want you to get hurt" She stuck out her tongue and giggled.

"I won't get hurt silly but your daddy will" She was acting like a child and I was completely shaken by it.

"Ok, why do you want to hurt my daddy?" I asked carefully.

"Because he threw me away" I noticed my father begin to shake at her confession. He had indeed thrown her away and I had been there to witness it. I think I was about seven at the time, I may have been eight, but I remember hearing moans and shouts coming from my father's office. I remember tiptoeing down the hallway and hiding behind the large bookcase that was situated just outside my father's office. I was very small so I could fit easily. I heard shouting and then Victoria slammed the door to my father's office and stormed out the house. I never saw her again until now.

"I'm sure he regrets it. There is no need to hurt him" Her eyes snapped from my father to me in a nanosecond.

"You were coming to hurt him" I gulped. My father's eyes grew a few sizes bigger and I noticed a frown appear on his face. He looked ugly when he frowned.

"I was. Victor-"

"My name is Viccy" She shouted suddenly. It was a high-pitched, whiny kind of sound that made me cringe. She was acting like a child.

"Viccy… Do you run the Ace?" I asked. My father shook his head gently, I didn't know if he was giving me a sign or someone else.

"Nope but I wish I did. All those pretty boys I could boss around. No one would throw me away if I ran the Ace. I could have anything I want" What? She had to run the Ace… she had to. There was no one else left! My father wouldn't let a woman he threw away years ago hold a gun to his head. He wouldn't be shaking with fear if he ran the Ace.

"Do you work for the leader?" She giggled again and swayed in a childish manner. The small blue dress she was wearing swayed gently from side to side giving her the appearance of someone with innocence. She was anything but.

"He real pretty Bellyboo" I turned my head to the side to try and get a better look at the gun. It wasn't too fancy, nothing like the powerful gun I had been trained to use by Phil. I shifted my head to the right and noticed something out of the ordinary. The safety lock was still on.

"Who is really pretty?" I asked after a long few seconds. I had taken too long, she had noticed. She pushed the gun further into my father's head this time.

"My Rileykins" Riley? Rileykins? The man my mother had an affair with? That Riley? It couldn't be.

"Riley? And where is Riley now?" I asked carefully while pushing the button again. They should be here now, they should all be preparing to storm this god-forsaken place and recover the lives that were stolen.

"Remind me to kill her first" A smooth voice whispered into my ear. My joints locked and my blood froze. It was him, the leader of the Ace. I managed to gather my bearings and turn my head towards him.

"Riley?" He smirked at me and even then I could see how beautiful he really was. I could understand why my mother had fallen so completely for his antics and charm. He was in good shape, very well dressed in a grey suit and so easy on the eyes. But I knew the truth. He was a little bit more than what he appeared.

"Isabella, my you do look like your mother" I gritted my teeth. I didn't want to discuss her right now.

"You are the leader?" He nodded and then motioned to Victoria.

" I believe you have already met my right hand woman, my trained monkey and my guards" He motioned to them as he spoke. My father shook as he called him a trained monkey.

"You did all of this? Why?" I asked breathlessly. I pushed the button harder this time. I pressed the button repeatedly.

"Because I could" That was not the answer I wanted but I couldn't push him too hard. He might have something else under his sleeve.

"How did you do it?" I whispered to the air. He heard me.

"Oh my dear child it was simple. Let me see… I slept with your mother to find out about your father's illness. I then planted the seed inside your fathers mind and made him believe that he was right. I made him believe that he had a greater purpose and the only way to accomplish it was to release himself of all his other failings. I paid the money for the Arena, I made Charlie call Phil and have your mother killed and if it weren't for a quick personality switch I would have succeeded… But never mind. Your mother was out of the picture. I had your father in the palm of my hand but then there was a kink in my plans. You see I found a little girl who knew how to get her father back and keep him there. I found a little girl who knew far too much and saw a great deal more. A little know it all that was exactly like her mother. But after a while you began to notice less so I left you alone… rather foolish of me really. Then I met Victoria and introduced her to my world. Of course she isn't much better on the mental side of things but she would do. You see, I had my charm and well she had her body. Together we found that your father was a weak creature who craved a female's attention. Victoria had him wrapped around her little finger until you unexpectedly brought you father back on one of the biggest days in our development. The boys who were already training were doing remarkably well but I was still unsatisfied with the amount of bitches still left having little girls. So I did what I had to, I kidnapped any little boys I could find. That included your dear little husband. Yes, I was very proud of him and his training. I was happier when Alice made you get ask your father for him. I suppose you are wondering how I did that?" I nodded.

"The mind is a fickle thing Isabella and if one hears the numbers enough then one would take it as a sign. It was planned from the start pumpkin and you were all part of it. You were all little cards in my deck and one by one you were all going to be played for the fools you are. I had hoped that your mother would have stayed away and that your father would have kept his cool and that you would have kept your stupid fucking nose out of it, but you didn't, did you sweetpea? That would have been too easy for you. You and your mother did something very unexpected, you took it the courthouse and involved another valuable member of my team, Victoria's uncle and my almost Uncle in law. You were very stupid that day Bella and your stupidity cost many lives"

I went to protest.

"But that is not all Isabella. I started the Ace with one purpose… to rid the town of strong women. You were right; the women are the ones in danger. Those little rods that you have in your arm do not protect you from anything and once mounted, which I'm sure you have found by now is a very strong instinct for my little robots, you will find that many of the women would fall pregnant within the first year of their marriage therefore creating a new generation for me to train. The wives would be taken care of after they went into labour and the child would be brought to the Ace to be trained in the perfect way."

I put my hand over my stomach.

"I see you have already been mounted. Yes, it is true… you could be pregnant my dear girl which is why you have not been harmed as of yet. Of course there are other things to consider before we have you take a test… your mother for instance" I gulped.

"Your fight is with me" I tried to act strong but it didn't last very long.

"Oh how right you are but first I want to see her. See the woman she became and the little half breed she calls a daughter!" Was he talking about me or Nessie? I couldn't tell.

"Nessie, isn't it? The one that we found kissing a large boy in a truck" I gripped the handles of my bag firmer and pushed down on the button so hard I heard it crack. He did too.

"Oh don't worry, they will arrive. Just like I know they will fight. You see for a while I have been planning this. An epic battle between what you think is right and what I do." There would be no coming back from this. I was going to kill him with my bare hands—_You might be pregnant Bella._

" So let the game begin" He smirked and the walls began to lift. The metal fell away to reveal men of varying age and form all snapping their jaws and snarling. It was like something I had never seen before in my life. It was scary and no matter how much I wanted to run, I couldn't. My feet were glued to the floor preventing any movement. I wanted to cry with frustration and yell at someone to help me but I realised that there was no one here. My family were not here and neither were any of my mother's men. I was alone and I was going to die that way.

I started crying but the sound was drowned out by many snarls and Victoria's high-pitched giggle as Riley lifted her and swung her around. It was too late. The game was lost. I was not going to win. No one was going to come out of this alive.

Silence.

That's what I heard before I saw them. My ears stopped working and my mind slowed down. There were hundreds of them all storming in behind the snarling men. All had guns and lasers. My mother's men, my family had arrived.

"Are you an eleven or a one? Choose your mark and Attack!" Riley shouted. It echoed off the walls and hummed in my ears before the most horrific display of human behaviour happened. Men who had been taken from their lives charged with snarling teeth, hissing breaths and swings of their fists. I was scared for my men, scared for my husband. I closed my eyes and prayed that I would be able to move the second I opened them.

A smell that made my stomach turn began to cloud the air. I covered my nose quickly and began to choke. A warm hand closed around my wrist and pulled it from my mouth. A smooth voice I recognised filled my head.

"Breathe now, not too deep" I took a pull of clean air and felt my body relax. Phil locked the mask in place and pushed a tank into my arms. The cloud of gas got thicker so I waved my arms to try and find something, anything. My arms caught around a tall figure that quickly wrapped a hand around mine and gripped it tight. I didn't know the hand, I couldn't place it but I hoped when this was all over I could thank them for being there when I couldn't be strong.

A few moments later and the cloud began to thin, the room began to clear and the bodies began to appear. Hundreds of snarling men now lay on the floor, their mouths hanging open but their eyes closed. They looked to be sleeping but I could never be so sure. I looked up at the man whom I was grasping onto and found a warm comforting smile waiting for me. Carlisle. His head was covered by a gas mask and his free hand was holding onto a trigger of some sort. He smiled at me and then looked up. I followed suit. My mother's men stood proud around outside of the arena. In that moment I felt like I was flying.

When the cloud finally cleared my eyes found my father. He was still strapped to the chair and his eyes were closed. The gas had affected him too. My eyes did not stay on him for long… they instead moved to the two people sprawled on the floor clutching each other. The gas had knocked them out too. Whatever had been planned without my knowledge worked and I couldn't have been happier. I let my eyes close and I felt for the first time relieved to be stood in a place such as this. I felt better.

My mother quickly rounded up her troops and they checked over the fallen broken men. Phil took the role of securing Riley and Victoria. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt my feet begin to move and then my fingers were there, wrapping around the knots of rope holding my father to his prison.

"No Bella. Leave him there" I didn't listen to her. I didn't listen to anyone. I untied my father and watched as he slumped to the floor, my eyes started tearing and my legs started to give out. I ungracefully fell to my knees next to him and wrapped my arms around him. I clung to him like I used to when I was small. I hugged my father like the little girl I knew I still was to him. He may have been someone else for a while but I knew that he was in there somewhere. He was still my father and he was going to get all the help he needed because now I knew without a doubt… _It wasn't his fault._

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><p><strong><em>Forgive me? It just felt right! <em>**

**_xxxx _**


	19. It's time

**_Hello to all my lovely readers. _**

**_Here is the last official chapter of Ace. I want to thank you all for the kind reviews and for being very patient with me. I have written this chapter many times but it always ends up the same way. _**

**_Thank you for reading and I hope that very soon I shall have another story for you :) _**

**_Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and unfortunately never will be. _**

**Bpov **

_I know you want to want to know what happened next and for me to tell you that I have to make you promise something. You have to promise that you won't judge me for what I did and you won't think of me as the villain. I need you to promise…._

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><p>I was cradling my father's head in my lap when Edward approached. He was dressed in black and had a gun swung around his back. I had no idea just how much seeing him with a weapon would scare me. What if he turned on us? What if he turned on me and ended me for taking away what he thought was right? I shouldn't have thought that. I will always regret thinking that. He approached me carefully and for that I was thankful because any sudden movements would have set me off. I knew that much.<p>

"Bella, you have to let him go" I shook my head. I was not letting my father go, he needed me.

"Phil wants him secure before he wakes up" I shot him an evil look that made him flinch. I felt terrible as soon as it registered and immediately softened my gaze and wiped at my tears. The backpack with Edward's bear was still strapped to my back and it felt heavy for the first time since I put it there. Edward was free. That was what I wanted most but the fact that Charlie was not to blame was an unexpected bonus. I smiled before I knew it and carefully released my father. I fell into Edward's arms and felt safe, protected, loved.

I felt good.

I felt invincible.

Phil arrived a few moments later and carefully handcuffed my father so that he could get him secure. I acted as though it wasn't killing me inside. I acted as though it was for the best but I knew it wasn't. My father had been in chains too long and now I just wanted him to be better. My mother rounded up her troops as I walked the short distance to the hallway that would lead to the outside world. I felt a head rush just thinking about all the possibilities that could be now that the ace was destroyed. I could have a family and not have to worry about the implications of the Ace. We could live without fear.

I could help those affected by the Ace.

I was not prepared for the sight that greeted me as I stepped out of the front door. Jacob was standing in middle of hundreds of men shouting orders. Nessie was standing near Carlisle handing him bandages and that's when I realised what was happening. The men were making sure the arena was safe before they brought out all the Ace members. Carlisle was making sure that the men who would need treatment would be taken care of immediately and then placed in a secure location where Esme would begin their therapy. That was what we had discussed a long time ago back when it was all hypothetical and uncertain. But it was no longer hypothetical… it was happening.

Many tents and trucks lined the square making me wonder just how many men my mother had lying around town. Hundreds? Thousands? I suppose I would never know because it seemed my mother liked to keep secrets. I couldn't think about that because there was too much going on. I looked for Emmett and Jasper but they were nowhere to be found.

After a few seconds of taking everything in I was guided to a chair just behind what seemed to be an invisible line. A young woman handed me a cup of water and I gulped it down greedily. I didn't realise how much the gas had affected my throat until I felt the cool liquid soothe it. My throat stopped gulping when I saw it, Phil and a few large bald men were carrying my father out of the side door and into the back of coach. This one was exactly like the one I had at home but was designed to instantly lock the moment the doors closed. Riley, Aro and Victoria followed but were still very much asleep; they too ended up in the back of the coach with Charlie. Phil didn't close the doors. He handcuffed them to a bar and left them there. He then went back into the arena and many other men followed.

That was when it went wrong.

I left Edward's side, despite him calling my name and got into the back of the coach with them. I don't think anyone really knew what I was doing; I didn't even know why I did it. All I knew was that I didn't want my father to be put in the same category as those people anymore.

They were in charge because they wanted to be, my father didn't have a choice. They preyed on his weakness and in turn turned it into one of their strengths.

I looked at my father, curled in an awkward position in the back of a coach and then at my mother who was laughing and joking with another man. I started crying and tugging at him and his handcuffs but they wouldn't come off. They wouldn't move and every time I jerked them, his body moved too. Why can't they just help him? Why did we all blame him for something out of his control?

"Bella, what are you doing?" My mother's voice swam inside my head.

"He doesn't deserve to be in here with them" I pulled at his cuffs one more time before small hands wrapped around them and pulled me from the coach. I didn't want them touching me. I wanted my daddy.

"Bella, your father is guilty, the same as them" I don't know where it came from but some uncontrollable rage sprang forth and tumbled from my mouth.

"My father is not guilty! He had an illness mum, one that after everything I'm sure you knew about! You focused on your own unhappiness rather than getting him help! You all did."

I pointed at my mother again.

"You turned your back on him because you were not happy and then you betrayed him by going with Riley. He then gets you pregnant and you change but you still hate him for you being unhappy! What if he never meant for you to be unhappy? He has a personality disorder mother and you knew that he was just as unhappy as you. Riley wanted you dead mother but my father, the man you fell in love with saved you. He had Phil kidnap you instead and he never really went looking for you! He got you out of the way because he knew; deep down that Riley was going to hurt you. That's what he wanted in that arena, he wanted to see you and Nessie. He wanted revenge and Charlie, the man you are trying to pass off as evil saved you from that"

"No he didn't, Phil saved me"

"No, my father did"

"Phil could have finished the Ace years ago and now I realise, you could have too. You had enough power to do all of this, you just needed the bait which I'm glad I was because it made me realise that all of you are cowards"

"Now you wait just a minute young lady-"

"You were unhappy and then you found happiness, I get it. But what I don't get is why you would string me along and not let me get involved in a plan that you have obviously had planned since before you came back into my life. Charlie may have had an illness and he may have been distant but at least he didn't leave me the minute he found a new family."

"How dare you speak to your mother like that-"

"How dare you stand there after everything I just went through and tell me not to disrespect my mother. That's right, my mother! The woman who gave birth to me but left me."

"I didn't leave you, I couldn't come back"

"You say you couldn't come back yet here you are" I felt Edward's arms close around me and I started screaming and shouting and crying out for him to let me go. I was not in the mood to deal with him trying to soothe me and at the moment I just wanted to scream at her and tell her that I missed her and that she isn't the woman I had hoped she was and… and… that I wished she had ended the Ace many years ago so that I wouldn't have to try and put these broken pieces back together.

"Bella, calm down" Edward whispered in my ear. I wasn't calming down, I wasn't ready to stop, I needed to say my piece to her and let her know how much she let me down.

"I need a light sedative" Phil stated to a guard at his right.

"Don't you dare" I spat.

"You are making this extremely difficult Bella" He said quietly. My mother looked at him as though she was seeing him for the first time.

"You would put me under just so that I stop talking?" He nodded.

"You Phil are just as evil as they are" A young man placed a packet in Phil's hand and then he came closer to me.

"That better not come anywhere near me"

"Look Bella you need to rest"

" You stick that needle into me and I promise you Phil… I will end you" He stuck me with the needle anyway. And as the world began to dip and go dark around me I remembered one very small but very significant detail… Edward didn't stop them.

I woke on a hospital bed with many people surrounding me. I could feel small hands wrapped around one of mine and I prayed that it was Esme or Alice or even Rose… anyone but my mother.

"Bella" She spoke and I pulled away from her.

"You don't get to call me that" I curled into a small ball and placed a hand over my stomach. I still needed to find out if what Riley had said was true or not.

"I am your mother-"

"You can call yourself my mother but it does not make it so. When I was little I would make a wish on my birthday that wherever you were, you would find me again but I never thought you would find me like this. I never thought for one second that you would do what you have done"

"I have finished the Ace, I have saved you all" Her voice was weaker than I expected.

"Yes you have and I am grateful, so grateful but you fail to see what you did to me"

"I did nothing to you Bella"

"You left me. You came back and then made it so I would go into that arena. You planned it from the start and then when I see what you really did, you stood by and watched as someone went against my wishes and sedated me"

"It was for the best"

"No it wasn't. I need to speak to Carlisle and I want you to leave" I clenched my eyes tighter and took a deep breath when I heard her get from the chair and leave.

"Bella, what is it?" Carlisle appeared at my side seconds later. I had no memory of him being in the room when I woke but I was not about to waste time by thinking over pointless details. I opened my eyes and took in his worried face. He should have been able to be a father to those boys. He would have been an excellent one.

"How long does it take for pregnancy symptoms to show?" A small gasp happened though I am not sure where it came from.

"Erm, it varies from woman to woman" He was nervous, I could tell.

"Well you better be prepared. Riley told me the small rods you put in a while ago are not effective. I… I need to know if I could be pregnant" This time the gasp was louder and I wanted to tell them to shut up.

"I understand. I don't have anything with me to test you Bella so I'm afraid it will have to be later on today or early tomorrow." I nodded. There were things that needed to be done first. The Ace needed finishing once and for all.

I sat up and locked my eyes with the only one in the room that mattered.

Edward.

"Are they awake?" He nodded.

It was time.

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><p><strong>Thank you :) <strong>


	20. Epilogue

**It is time. This is the end of the Ace. I am not sorry for the bumpy ride that you have all endured while reading this story.**

**I may go back and re-write this because I know some of you may feel it's underdeveloped and still unfinished but right now, this is all I could write for the end. I have tried to re-write this many times, I have tried to create a new plot point or try and find another thing I could to resolve it a different way but I can't. For that, I'm sorry. I know this seems like an abrupt ending and I am prepared for flames due to this but... just go easy on me please. **

**I have to thank LoopyLou992 for all the nights she spent listening to me go and on about this story. All the pictures exchanged back and forth and all the chapters I asked her to read. Thanks babes, you are a star and I'm glad I can call you a close friend.**

**Now to all of you.**

**I am so very thankful to all of you for your kind words and your enthusiasm when I felt like I had none left. I have learnt a great deal from this story and it's process which is why I am currently writing another but I am going to finish writing the whole thing first to avoid plot holes and all that. I will hopefully have it up soon but I have no idea where my fickle mind will take me.**

**I will say this though. It will be darker than this and it will be based on the Greek Myth, The Abduction of Persephone.**

**Thank you all.**

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><p>EPOV – EPILOGUE<p>

I am currently sitting in a room, a very large room with windows that open to let in a breeze. I can see the sky from where I sit and I can feel the wind on my face. I am free and that is something this room reminds me of. The door to my right has no lock; it remains open for anyone who needs to enter. The walls are bright and colourful and in this place there are only a few rules and they are nothing like they were before. Punishments are truly behind the people who enter here and help is always available.

I know because I spend an awful lot of time here. After all, I helped build it.

I remember that day better than any other.

Bella destroyed the Ace with a hundred and fifty men. Each had a rope tied to the metal structure. At first we thought it would not come down but I guess with all the pent up rage they found their inner strength. It buckled and then gave a little. It was enough. The Ace was destroyed but Bella seemed unsatisfied. After a few seconds of watching the building she took my hand and led me to the barely sound structure. She then went to one of the trucks that her mother had brought into the square and searched for something in the back. After a few long moments she came out with a large metal object that looked as though it was meant to mend the truck if it should break. She placed it into my hands and told me to let it all go.

I did.

I hit metal, bricks, wood and mattresses and even though it hurt my hands it helped me.

I see that now.

And as I heard the cries and hate spew from Riley's mouth I knew that this was what I was meant for. I was supposed to help bring down my prison and protect the men inside. I was apparently the Ace; the highest-ranking card in the deck. Naturally I was the first slam that metal weapon into the game and end it.

I'm glad I let go that day because without it I might not be as calm as I am now.

This room has many advantages but the main one is that is allows me time alone with my daughter. Bella was right that day in the arena. What Riley had done slowly became apparent as the weeks went by. Many more women came to Carlilse because they had heard about the implants they had received. Some were working perfectly fine but others were placebos and did nothing. Bella's test results came as a shock to us all except Bella. I think she knew. She told me one night that Riley was evil when it came to many things but not her pregnancy. She was happy that he had done what he did because it meant we were going to get a precious gift. That's the way she looked at it anyway. I was a little more cautious; I suppose that's one way to look at it. I remember feeling happy and sad when she told me. I wanted the baby, I did but I did not. I did not have a childhood. Esme has told me that many times. I do not know what a parent is or if I could ever be one but as I hold her and feel her little heart beat so close to me I know that I had everything I needed in order to become what she needed.

Esme and I worked on my anger for a long time. Bella would stay well away from me after a therapy session and then when I felt I was in control I would find her and kiss her ever expanding stomach and talk about it. Bella is my guide and she continues to guide me through the dark patches that occur sometimes.

However there is one thing I have not told her. One thing I know will make her cry.

I have to tell her why I never let her know her mother's plans.

I get up from the seat and place Freya in a cot. She will be safe while she sleeps; I know that for a fact. It's not like when I was small. I take the small monitor and quietly leave the room. Bella is sitting where I left her leafing through paperwork at a small desk in a very open room. I left her hours ago so when she spots me she quickly tries to hide the papers.

"You shouldn't be stressing yourself out"I tell her sternly. She is having a hard time dealing with her father's case and treatment. After Charlie was correctly diagnosed Bella made it her mission to help him. She went to visit him in a prison just off the boarder a few days after the Ace was taken down and spent a lot of time going through everything that had happened. Charlie was very forth coming with information and apparently even admitted he wanted to die so that no one could be hurt from his actions again. Bella of course told him that what she thought of that and made it so he was on suicide watch. Charlie has been doing better recently and I think I'm happy about that. Something good came from Charlie a weeks into his treatment. A letter arrived one day; it was addressed to both of us and was very thin. What we found made all of this possible, he donated all of the money he had been given from Riley and Victoria to Bella. At first she had no intention of ever using it until we burnt the picture of the Ace that hung in the courthouse. A year later, The Clinic was built and with it came a newfound happiness and a great deal of hope. Men who had been affected by the Ace were treated first and with the upmost care and consideration. Next came families who were affected by the Ace and its entire doings… that is where I came in. I helped build the family quarters so that no family would be separated during a very important time. I was not apart from my family now so why should they have been apart from theirs?

Emmett and Jasper helped to create spacious, clean and completely free living spaces for the members of each family and in return we got happiness. I will admit that there were times when we wanted to give up and if it was not for Freya I would have. Emmett was in the same boat until Rose sat him down in the very room Freya is now sleeping and told him that he was going to be a father. He was quick to finish the work then and by the end of a few months we had all the rooms ready to be lived in.

Jasper and Alice are currently not trying to have a child because they are very much in love and want to spend as much time together before they introduce a new baby into the mix. They are happy and that is the only thing that Bella and I really wanted for them. Alice has finally learnt how to care for Jasper in a way that he needs. She sat us all down one night and tried to explain it to us but she didn't get very far. Bella told her that it was her business and as long as Jasper was safe and so was she we didn't need to know anything else.

"I know" I smile as I come out of my thoughts. I know she saw it because she smiles too.

I stand behind her and kiss the back of her head before wrapping my arms around her.

"It's just I want to be sure he is alright and not charged with the same thing they were" it is understandable. Riley and Victoria were sentenced with kidnapping, murder of the 1st and 2nd degree and a bunch of other things that I don't really remember. They were taken off by Phil and haven't heard anything about them since; expect that they are now paying for their crimes. Too be honest, I don't want to know anything else.

Charlie's court hearing is in a matter of days and Bella is trying to keep herself calm and collected but I know she is secretly dying inside. After all, he is her father.

"Everything will be alright" I whisper into her ear.

"How do you know?" I smile.

"Because it has to be." She doesn't smile.

"Bella, I have something to tell you" I put the monitor on her desk and twirl her around to face me. Her eyes are narrowed and she looks extremely cute but I cannot flatter. I take a deep breath and open my mouth.

"I knew about your mothers plan the day after she arrived" Her mouth falls open and she almost gets up from her seat.

"Hear me out" I plead with my hands up in front of me. She nods her head once; I have a few minutes before she pulls the plug. I know this routine.

"Your mother came to me the day after she arrived and told me exactly what she was going to do and how she was going to do it. Some of the things did not work out her way… the day she put me back in my cage for instance. Then there were things that worked out perfectly. You knew how to work everything out, you knew what you needed to do in order for the plan to work because you did not know the plan. Sometimes it changed and sometimes it stayed the same but it worked because you did everything she made you do. She didn't finish the Ace a long time ago Bella because she was trying to work out the perfect way for it to be ended. She needed to wait for you to be strong enough and willing enough to die for something you believed in. She needed you Bella. For so long we believed I was the Ace but I wasn't Bella. The Ace has always been you. You were holding all the cards, you were choosing when to play them and when not to. Bella you are the Ace, which was your mother's biggest secret. She begged me to keep it from you because if you knew then she no longer had her trick card. The Ace up her sleeve"

"So what does that have to do with anything?" She does not understand. I know it; I can see it in her eyes.

"Bella, You were the trick shot. You finished the Ace. Your mother's plan started and ended with you" I gather her face in my overly large hands that still smell of baby powder and bring her eyes level with mine.

"You saved everyone because you were kept in the dark for so long that you could only make the choices that kept you and everyone else alive. You were willing to risk everything to save some men who needed to be saved. Your mother saw that in you and chose to wait a little while longer. It also meant that Riley, Victoria and anyone else who tried to torture information out of you would have received nothing"

"That is a dangerous game of chance"

"That is why she left the playing to you. You were the chance she was willing to take"

"So my mother would have allowed me to die?"

"I was with you all the time. You did not see me nor hear me but I was there ready to jump out and protect you"

"In the courthouse?"

"No. I was too angry that day. Jacob needed to protect you that day, that was why I was so angry when you returned because you could have been killed"

"In the Ace?"

"I was in a place that no one knew about except your mother, Phil and Carlisle" She squints her eyes and glares at me.

"How did you do that without being seen?" I chuckle lightly and kiss her forehead again.

"What do children do best?" She shrugs.

"They play" I whisper slowly hoping that she would understand.

"That makes no sense" I roll my eyes.

"I was a child when I went into the Ace. Emmett, Jasper and I used to play where we were not allowed. We found all sorts of hiding places and tried to sleep there because the mean men with the whips couldn't find us. But as we got older and our bodies grew we could no longer fit. We had to give up our hiding places and lost our childhood altogether. That was why Carlisle was spending so long at the Ace. We didn't mention it because you could have caught on about what we were doing. We were feeding him information about the hiding spots. He would find them, put a camera there and then find a path out of there. By the time you went to the Ace and confronted Riley we had the whole arena mapped out. We surrounded them because they were stupid enough to take little children into a metal playground" She wipes a tear from her right eye.

"This was all down to luck. The plan was a stupid one because at any second something could have changed. My mother was foolish and she made you all go along with it. She risked everything" I agree with her.

"At least it's done now"

"That's not the point! My mother could have killed us all! She didn't have a plan… she… she signed all our death certificates! " She starts to cry and I hate it.

"I know but it was a chance she was willing to take" She shakes her head from side to side.

"I need time to process it all" I kiss her head again and leave to go check on Freya.

…..

After a while I look up at the clock and wonder what time we will be going home tonight. I left Bella hours ago and she has yet to come and find me. Normally we would be home by six with dinner on the go. At eight we would bathe Freya, feed her at half eight and then put her down for nine. But it's seven o'clock and Bella is nowhere to be found.

I find Bella exactly where I left her but this time she is talking to someone. Her mother sits on the opposite side of the table with a teacup clenched in her hand. Bella is crying and her mother is desperately trying to calm her but she isn't listening. Bella sees me before I can even enter the room. She gets up instantly and hurries to me.

"I can't forgive her, why can't I forgive her?"

"Because you need more time just like she did"

"That's different. I am not risking all our lives!" Bella cries out. Renee looks to the floor and sobs silently. It breaks my heart to see both of them in such distress.

"Bella. You and your mother need to talk. It will be a long time until you can heal and move on and trust but you will get there. I promise" she looks up into my eyes and I see everything swirling around, Innocence, vulnerability, pride, intelligence and beauty…beauty above all else.

"How do you know?"

"You both saved me. I have faith in your hearts. You both love too much to ever let anything ever come between you. You showed me how to be a good person Bella. You gave me a family when I didn't have or understand one. Your mother is important and like it or not she loves you and did everything in her power to protect you. That is why you will be able to forgive her in time. You love her because she is your mother and that is what is important"

" When did you become so smart?" She mumbles.

"I've always been smart Bella. I've always been capable of rational thought, I just forgot for a little while"

"I love you"

"I love you too"

It took Bella three minutes after her fathers court session to forgive her mother and Phil. It turned out that Phil and Renee were willing to do anything just to prove Charlie's innocence. Renee went on the stand and swore under oath and told the court everything. Phil did the same and even mentioning that he lied about the content of the phone calls. He admitted he was wrong about Charlie. He was upset that the woman he loved was still connected to him. He wanted her for himself and even went so far as to want him dead. Apparently my mother didn't know that Charlie had saved her life until after that day when Bella blew up in front of everyone. Renee went to visit Charlie with Phil but never told Bella what they spoke about. However, a few days later I found Renee on the bench outside crying and she just blurted it out. Apparently, Charlie told Renee that he was sorry and he was glad she was happy. Phil told Charlie everything he thought of him and they shook hands and departed. They stood on the witness stand and recited everything… every part of the plan, every single detail and from then on Bella knew that all of it was not her mother's fault. It was a harsh game that they had unknowingly found themselves a part of and they tried their best to play it so they won but they didn't realise until the last draw of the cards just how wrong they had been.

I am free because a mother and her daughter decided they didn't like the lifestyle they had been given. They didn't like the game they were a part of and they sure as hell didn't want it. They liked their chances and they went for it.

The Ace is over but the after effects and the shock is still clinging to everyone's backs. It is there in the corner of their eye and in the back of their minds. I have come to realise we have two choices in life… we play the game or we avoid temptation. Sometimes playing the game has disastrous results but sometimes, it frees us all.

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><p>The End.<p> 


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